diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.c b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
index 1ec57dd82284..14e5a039bc45 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
@@ -1215,7 +1215,7 @@ static int __sort__hpp_header(struct perf_hpp_fmt *fmt, struct perf_hpp *hpp,
 	hse = container_of(fmt, struct hpp_sort_entry, hpp);
 	len = hists__col_len(&evsel->hists, hse->se->se_width_idx);
 
-	return scnprintf(hpp->buf, hpp->size, "%*s", len, hse->se->se_header);
+	return scnprintf(hpp->buf, hpp->size, "%-*s", len, hse->se->se_header);
 }
 
 static int __sort__hpp_width(struct perf_hpp_fmt *fmt,