diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
index 646ec5d5de80..84295ab6c4e1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
@@ -1207,6 +1207,9 @@ kvm_events_report(struct perf_kvm_stat *kvm, int argc, const char **argv)
 					   kvm_events_report_options);
 	}
 
+	if (!kvm->opts.target.pid)
+		kvm->opts.target.system_wide = true;
+
 	return kvm_events_report_vcpu(kvm);
 }