diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
index ec0f9aa4e151..1b87157edbff 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
@@ -2213,6 +2213,7 @@ void trace_event_eval_update(struct trace_eval_map **map, int len)
 {
 	struct trace_event_call *call, *p;
 	const char *last_system = NULL;
+	bool first = false;
 	int last_i;
 	int i;
 
@@ -2220,15 +2221,28 @@ void trace_event_eval_update(struct trace_eval_map **map, int len)
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(call, p, &ftrace_events, list) {
 		/* events are usually grouped together with systems */
 		if (!last_system || call->class->system != last_system) {
+			first = true;
 			last_i = 0;
 			last_system = call->class->system;
 		}
 
+		/*
+		 * Since calls are grouped by systems, the likelyhood that the
+		 * next call in the iteration belongs to the same system as the
+		 * previous call is high. As an optimization, we skip seaching
+		 * for a map[] that matches the call's system if the last call
+		 * was from the same system. That's what last_i is for. If the
+		 * call has the same system as the previous call, then last_i
+		 * will be the index of the first map[] that has a matching
+		 * system.
+		 */
 		for (i = last_i; i < len; i++) {
 			if (call->class->system == map[i]->system) {
 				/* Save the first system if need be */
-				if (!last_i)
+				if (first) {
 					last_i = i;
+					first = false;
+				}
 				update_event_printk(call, map[i]);
 			}
 		}