diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
index e767fbd17ad2c30f8b4be89d1b3f1abdc338f7e5..a53fef0c673bbbfcf8669ffb66f5de079dbc7e18 100644
--- a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
+++ b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
@@ -1361,8 +1361,10 @@ static int hist_browser__show_hierarchy_entry(struct hist_browser *browser,
 		width -= hpp.buf - s;
 	}
 
-	ui_browser__write_nstring(&browser->b, "", hierarchy_indent);
-	width -= hierarchy_indent;
+	if (!first) {
+		ui_browser__write_nstring(&browser->b, "", hierarchy_indent);
+		width -= hierarchy_indent;
+	}
 
 	if (column >= browser->b.horiz_scroll) {
 		char s[2048];
@@ -1565,6 +1567,7 @@ static int hists_browser__scnprintf_hierarchy_headers(struct hist_browser *brows
 	if (advance_hpp_check(&dummy_hpp, ret))
 		return ret;
 
+	first_node = true;
 	/* the first hpp_list_node is for overhead columns */
 	fmt_node = list_first_entry(&hists->hpp_formats,
 				    struct perf_hpp_list_node, list);
@@ -1579,12 +1582,16 @@ static int hists_browser__scnprintf_hierarchy_headers(struct hist_browser *brows
 		ret = scnprintf(dummy_hpp.buf, dummy_hpp.size, "  ");
 		if (advance_hpp_check(&dummy_hpp, ret))
 			break;
+
+		first_node = false;
 	}
 
-	ret = scnprintf(dummy_hpp.buf, dummy_hpp.size, "%*s",
-			indent * HIERARCHY_INDENT, "");
-	if (advance_hpp_check(&dummy_hpp, ret))
-		return ret;
+	if (!first_node) {
+		ret = scnprintf(dummy_hpp.buf, dummy_hpp.size, "%*s",
+				indent * HIERARCHY_INDENT, "");
+		if (advance_hpp_check(&dummy_hpp, ret))
+			return ret;
+	}
 
 	first_node = true;
 	list_for_each_entry_continue(fmt_node, &hists->hpp_formats, list) {