diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
index 5f74c6723c53..5ffffcb1e3c5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
+++ b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
@@ -1400,8 +1400,13 @@ static int hist_browser__show_hierarchy_entry(struct hist_browser *browser,
 		if (fmt->color) {
 			width -= fmt->color(fmt, &hpp, entry);
 		} else {
+			int i = 0;
+
 			width -= fmt->entry(fmt, &hpp, entry);
-			ui_browser__printf(&browser->b, "%s", s);
+			ui_browser__printf(&browser->b, "%s", ltrim(s));
+
+			while (isspace(s[i++]))
+				width++;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1576,6 +1581,8 @@ static int hists_browser__scnprintf_hierarchy_headers(struct hist_browser *brows
 		return ret;
 
 	hists__for_each_format(hists, fmt) {
+		char *start;
+
 		if (!perf_hpp__is_sort_entry(fmt) && !perf_hpp__is_dynamic_entry(fmt))
 			continue;
 		if (perf_hpp__should_skip(fmt, hists))
@@ -1593,7 +1600,12 @@ static int hists_browser__scnprintf_hierarchy_headers(struct hist_browser *brows
 		dummy_hpp.buf[ret] = '\0';
 		rtrim(dummy_hpp.buf);
 
-		ret = strlen(dummy_hpp.buf);
+		start = ltrim(dummy_hpp.buf);
+		ret = strlen(start);
+
+		if (start != dummy_hpp.buf)
+			memmove(dummy_hpp.buf, start, ret + 1);
+
 		if (advance_hpp_check(&dummy_hpp, ret))
 			break;
 	}
diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/stdio/hist.c b/tools/perf/ui/stdio/hist.c
index 5733d6c196be..6d06fbb365b6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/ui/stdio/hist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/ui/stdio/hist.c
@@ -418,6 +418,7 @@ static int hist_entry__hierarchy_fprintf(struct hist_entry *he,
 	const char *sep = symbol_conf.field_sep;
 	struct perf_hpp_fmt *fmt;
 	char *buf = hpp->buf;
+	size_t size = hpp->size;
 	int ret, printed = 0;
 	bool first = true;
 
@@ -457,6 +458,11 @@ static int hist_entry__hierarchy_fprintf(struct hist_entry *he,
 				(nr_sort_key - 1) * HIERARCHY_INDENT + 2, "");
 	advance_hpp(hpp, ret);
 
+	printed += fprintf(fp, "%s", buf);
+
+	hpp->buf  = buf;
+	hpp->size = size;
+
 	/*
 	 * No need to call hist_entry__snprintf_alignment() since this
 	 * fmt is always the last column in the hierarchy mode.
@@ -467,7 +473,11 @@ static int hist_entry__hierarchy_fprintf(struct hist_entry *he,
 	else
 		fmt->entry(fmt, hpp, he);
 
-	printed += fprintf(fp, "%s\n", buf);
+	/*
+	 * dynamic entries are right-aligned but we want left-aligned
+	 * in the hierarchy mode
+	 */
+	printed += fprintf(fp, "%s\n", ltrim(buf));
 
 	if (symbol_conf.use_callchain && he->leaf) {
 		u64 total = hists__total_period(hists);
@@ -525,6 +535,7 @@ static int print_hierarchy_header(struct hists *hists, struct perf_hpp *hpp,
 {
 	bool first = true;
 	int nr_sort;
+	int depth;
 	unsigned width = 0;
 	unsigned header_width = 0;
 	struct perf_hpp_fmt *fmt;
@@ -558,19 +569,16 @@ static int print_hierarchy_header(struct hists *hists, struct perf_hpp *hpp,
 		if (!first)
 			header_width += fprintf(fp, " / ");
 		else {
-			header_width += fprintf(fp, "%s", sep ?: "  ");
+			fprintf(fp, "%s", sep ?: "  ");
 			first = false;
 		}
 
 		fmt->header(fmt, hpp, hists_to_evsel(hists));
 		rtrim(hpp->buf);
 
-		header_width += fprintf(fp, "%s", hpp->buf);
+		header_width += fprintf(fp, "%s", ltrim(hpp->buf));
 	}
 
-	/* preserve max indent depth for combined sort headers */
-	print_hierarchy_indent(sep, nr_sort, spaces, fp);
-
 	fprintf(fp, "\n# ");
 
 	/* preserve max indent depth for initial dots */
@@ -590,6 +598,7 @@ static int print_hierarchy_header(struct hists *hists, struct perf_hpp *hpp,
 		fprintf(fp, "%.*s", width, dots);
 	}
 
+	depth = 0;
 	hists__for_each_format(hists, fmt) {
 		if (!perf_hpp__is_sort_entry(fmt) && !perf_hpp__is_dynamic_entry(fmt))
 			continue;
@@ -597,15 +606,16 @@ static int print_hierarchy_header(struct hists *hists, struct perf_hpp *hpp,
 			continue;
 
 		width = fmt->width(fmt, hpp, hists_to_evsel(hists));
+		width += depth * HIERARCHY_INDENT;
+
 		if (width > header_width)
 			header_width = width;
+
+		depth++;
 	}
 
 	fprintf(fp, "%s%-.*s", sep ?: "  ", header_width, dots);
 
-	/* preserve max indent depth for dots under sort headers */
-	print_hierarchy_indent(sep, nr_sort, dots, fp);
-
 	fprintf(fp, "\n#\n");
 
 	return 2;