diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
index 271e252dc651..5d43d0181d63 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
@@ -525,7 +525,14 @@ int cmd_report(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __used)
 	if (parent_pattern != default_parent_pattern) {
 		if (sort_dimension__add("parent") < 0)
 			return -1;
-		sort_parent.elide = 1;
+
+		/*
+		 * Only show the parent fields if we explicitly
+		 * sort that way. If we only use parent machinery
+		 * for filtering, we don't want it.
+		 */
+		if (!strstr(sort_order, "parent"))
+			sort_parent.elide = 1;
 	} else
 		symbol_conf.exclude_other = false;