diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/hist.c b/tools/perf/ui/hist.c
index 75eb6ac821f8..2af18376b077 100644
--- a/tools/perf/ui/hist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/ui/hist.c
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ void perf_hpp__init(void)
 	/*
 	 * If user specified field order, no need to setup default fields.
 	 */
-	if (field_order)
+	if (is_strict_order(field_order))
 		return;
 
 	if (symbol_conf.cumulate_callchain) {
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ void perf_hpp__column_disable(unsigned col)
 
 void perf_hpp__cancel_cumulate(void)
 {
-	if (field_order)
+	if (is_strict_order(field_order))
 		return;
 
 	perf_hpp__column_disable(PERF_HPP__OVERHEAD_ACC);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.c b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
index b4a805e5e440..1958637cf136 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
@@ -1453,7 +1453,7 @@ static int __setup_sorting(void)
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	if (sort_keys == NULL) {
-		if (field_order) {
+		if (is_strict_order(field_order)) {
 			/*
 			 * If user specified field order but no sort order,
 			 * we'll honor it and not add default sort orders.
@@ -1639,23 +1639,36 @@ static void reset_dimensions(void)
 		memory_sort_dimensions[i].taken = 0;
 }
 
+bool is_strict_order(const char *order)
+{
+	return order && (*order != '+');
+}
+
 static int __setup_output_field(void)
 {
-	char *tmp, *tok, *str;
-	int ret = 0;
+	char *tmp, *tok, *str, *strp;
+	int ret = -EINVAL;
 
 	if (field_order == NULL)
 		return 0;
 
 	reset_dimensions();
 
-	str = strdup(field_order);
+	strp = str = strdup(field_order);
 	if (str == NULL) {
 		error("Not enough memory to setup output fields");
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	for (tok = strtok_r(str, ", ", &tmp);
+	if (!is_strict_order(field_order))
+		strp++;
+
+	if (!strlen(strp)) {
+		error("Invalid --fields key: `+'");
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	for (tok = strtok_r(strp, ", ", &tmp);
 			tok; tok = strtok_r(NULL, ", ", &tmp)) {
 		ret = output_field_add(tok);
 		if (ret == -EINVAL) {
@@ -1667,6 +1680,7 @@ static int __setup_output_field(void)
 		}
 	}
 
+out:
 	free(str);
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.h b/tools/perf/util/sort.h
index 041f0c9cea2b..c03e4ff8beff 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.h
@@ -218,4 +218,5 @@ void perf_hpp__set_elide(int idx, bool elide);
 
 int report_parse_ignore_callees_opt(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset);
 
+bool is_strict_order(const char *order);
 #endif	/* __PERF_SORT_H */