diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
index 1d3c1003b43a2f083e94a0926a0000e159379352..a7b8760e401c00a8101c025d6132d69229e961de 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ static int perf_session__add_hist_entry(struct perf_session *self,
 	 * so we don't allocated the extra space needed because the stdio
 	 * code will not use it.
 	 */
-	if (use_browser)
+	if (use_browser > 0)
 		err = hist_entry__inc_addr_samples(he, al->addr);
 out_free_syms:
 	free(syms);
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ static int __cmd_report(void)
 		hists = rb_entry(next, struct hists, rb_node);
 		hists__collapse_resort(hists);
 		hists__output_resort(hists);
-		if (use_browser)
+		if (use_browser > 0)
 			hists__browse(hists, help, input_name);
 		else {
 			const char *evname = NULL;
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ static int __cmd_report(void)
 		next = rb_next(&hists->rb_node);
 	}
 
-	if (!use_browser && sort_order == default_sort_order &&
+	if (use_browser <= 0 && sort_order == default_sort_order &&
 	    parent_pattern == default_parent_pattern) {
 		fprintf(stdout, "#\n# (%s)\n#\n", help);
 
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ int cmd_report(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __used)
 	 * so don't allocate extra space that won't be used in the stdio
 	 * implementation.
 	 */
-	if (use_browser)
+	if (use_browser > 0)
 		symbol_conf.priv_size = sizeof(struct sym_priv);
 
 	if (symbol__init() < 0)
diff --git a/tools/perf/perf.c b/tools/perf/perf.c
index 08e0e5d2b50eb30be37b609c7e3a3f00bd0c8f12..6e4871191138970e57ea0dbeedf185eabb4ce0c1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/perf.c
+++ b/tools/perf/perf.c
@@ -15,15 +15,15 @@
 #include "util/parse-events.h"
 #include "util/debugfs.h"
 
-bool use_browser;
-
 const char perf_usage_string[] =
 	"perf [--version] [--help] COMMAND [ARGS]";
 
 const char perf_more_info_string[] =
 	"See 'perf help COMMAND' for more information on a specific command.";
 
+int use_browser = -1;
 static int use_pager = -1;
+
 struct pager_config {
 	const char *cmd;
 	int val;
@@ -49,6 +49,24 @@ int check_pager_config(const char *cmd)
 	return c.val;
 }
 
+static int tui_command_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *data)
+{
+	struct pager_config *c = data;
+	if (!prefixcmp(var, "tui.") && !strcmp(var + 4, c->cmd))
+		c->val = perf_config_bool(var, value);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* returns 0 for "no tui", 1 for "use tui", and -1 for "not specified" */
+static int check_tui_config(const char *cmd)
+{
+	struct pager_config c;
+	c.cmd = cmd;
+	c.val = -1;
+	perf_config(tui_command_config, &c);
+	return c.val;
+}
+
 static void commit_pager_choice(void)
 {
 	switch (use_pager) {
@@ -255,6 +273,9 @@ static int run_builtin(struct cmd_struct *p, int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (p->option & RUN_SETUP)
 		prefix = NULL; /* setup_perf_directory(); */
 
+	if (use_browser == -1)
+		use_browser = check_tui_config(p->cmd);
+
 	if (use_pager == -1 && p->option & RUN_SETUP)
 		use_pager = check_pager_config(p->cmd);
 	if (use_pager == -1 && p->option & USE_PAGER)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/cache.h b/tools/perf/util/cache.h
index 5eca52595b62eb9108ce30962840d9a6e98b1c5d..65fe664fddf698e67aa0639169665e64fffbdf61 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/cache.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/cache.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ extern const char *pager_program;
 extern int pager_in_use(void);
 extern int pager_use_color;
 
-extern bool use_browser;
+extern int use_browser;
 
 #ifdef NO_NEWT_SUPPORT
 static inline void setup_browser(void)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/newt.c b/tools/perf/util/newt.c
index 9338d060ee49f8d2c9a215a36ceb532d974e4883..9d203c972f3b81e1ecf4810ad4cf7e550cae03b5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/newt.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/newt.c
@@ -1066,10 +1066,13 @@ static struct newtPercentTreeColors {
 void setup_browser(void)
 {
 	struct newtPercentTreeColors *c = &defaultPercentTreeColors;
-	if (!isatty(1))
+
+	if (!isatty(1) || !use_browser) {
+		setup_pager();
 		return;
+	}
 
-	use_browser = true;
+	use_browser = 1;
 	newtInit();
 	newtCls();
 	ui_helpline__puts(" ");
@@ -1082,7 +1085,7 @@ void setup_browser(void)
 
 void exit_browser(bool wait_for_ok)
 {
-	if (use_browser) {
+	if (use_browser > 0) {
 		if (wait_for_ok) {
 			char title[] = "Fatal Error", ok[] = "Ok";
 			newtWinMessage(title, ok, browser__last_msg);