diff --git a/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.c b/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.c
index 2cafea2ec015faaac55da78c543a9b57d6fede0f..db40d6c6c01069bbf201fe0209c2c6f98c918992 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 #include "event.h"
 #include "debug.h"
+#include "parse-options.h"
 
 int auxtrace_mmap__mmap(struct auxtrace_mmap *mm,
 			struct auxtrace_mmap_params *mp,
@@ -200,6 +201,141 @@ int perf_event__synthesize_auxtrace_info(struct auxtrace_record *itr,
 	return err;
 }
 
+#define PERF_ITRACE_DEFAULT_PERIOD_TYPE		PERF_ITRACE_PERIOD_NANOSECS
+#define PERF_ITRACE_DEFAULT_PERIOD		100000
+#define PERF_ITRACE_DEFAULT_CALLCHAIN_SZ	16
+#define PERF_ITRACE_MAX_CALLCHAIN_SZ		1024
+
+void itrace_synth_opts__set_default(struct itrace_synth_opts *synth_opts)
+{
+	synth_opts->instructions = true;
+	synth_opts->branches = true;
+	synth_opts->errors = true;
+	synth_opts->period_type = PERF_ITRACE_DEFAULT_PERIOD_TYPE;
+	synth_opts->period = PERF_ITRACE_DEFAULT_PERIOD;
+	synth_opts->callchain_sz = PERF_ITRACE_DEFAULT_CALLCHAIN_SZ;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Please check tools/perf/Documentation/perf-script.txt for information
+ * about the options parsed here, which is introduced after this cset,
+ * when support in 'perf script' for these options is introduced.
+ */
+int itrace_parse_synth_opts(const struct option *opt, const char *str,
+			    int unset)
+{
+	struct itrace_synth_opts *synth_opts = opt->value;
+	const char *p;
+	char *endptr;
+
+	synth_opts->set = true;
+
+	if (unset) {
+		synth_opts->dont_decode = true;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (!str) {
+		itrace_synth_opts__set_default(synth_opts);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	for (p = str; *p;) {
+		switch (*p++) {
+		case 'i':
+			synth_opts->instructions = true;
+			while (*p == ' ' || *p == ',')
+				p += 1;
+			if (isdigit(*p)) {
+				synth_opts->period = strtoull(p, &endptr, 10);
+				p = endptr;
+				while (*p == ' ' || *p == ',')
+					p += 1;
+				switch (*p++) {
+				case 'i':
+					synth_opts->period_type =
+						PERF_ITRACE_PERIOD_INSTRUCTIONS;
+					break;
+				case 't':
+					synth_opts->period_type =
+						PERF_ITRACE_PERIOD_TICKS;
+					break;
+				case 'm':
+					synth_opts->period *= 1000;
+					/* Fall through */
+				case 'u':
+					synth_opts->period *= 1000;
+					/* Fall through */
+				case 'n':
+					if (*p++ != 's')
+						goto out_err;
+					synth_opts->period_type =
+						PERF_ITRACE_PERIOD_NANOSECS;
+					break;
+				case '\0':
+					goto out;
+				default:
+					goto out_err;
+				}
+			}
+			break;
+		case 'b':
+			synth_opts->branches = true;
+			break;
+		case 'e':
+			synth_opts->errors = true;
+			break;
+		case 'd':
+			synth_opts->log = true;
+			break;
+		case 'c':
+			synth_opts->branches = true;
+			synth_opts->calls = true;
+			break;
+		case 'r':
+			synth_opts->branches = true;
+			synth_opts->returns = true;
+			break;
+		case 'g':
+			synth_opts->instructions = true;
+			synth_opts->callchain = true;
+			synth_opts->callchain_sz =
+					PERF_ITRACE_DEFAULT_CALLCHAIN_SZ;
+			while (*p == ' ' || *p == ',')
+				p += 1;
+			if (isdigit(*p)) {
+				unsigned int val;
+
+				val = strtoul(p, &endptr, 10);
+				p = endptr;
+				if (!val || val > PERF_ITRACE_MAX_CALLCHAIN_SZ)
+					goto out_err;
+				synth_opts->callchain_sz = val;
+			}
+			break;
+		case ' ':
+		case ',':
+			break;
+		default:
+			goto out_err;
+		}
+	}
+out:
+	if (synth_opts->instructions) {
+		if (!synth_opts->period_type)
+			synth_opts->period_type =
+					PERF_ITRACE_DEFAULT_PERIOD_TYPE;
+		if (!synth_opts->period)
+			synth_opts->period = PERF_ITRACE_DEFAULT_PERIOD;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+
+out_err:
+	pr_err("Bad Instruction Tracing options '%s'\n", str);
+	return -EINVAL;
+}
+
 int auxtrace_mmap__read(struct auxtrace_mmap *mm, struct auxtrace_record *itr,
 			struct perf_tool *tool, process_auxtrace_t fn)
 {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.h b/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.h
index 199fc27b39549d75d6b09ba9b6a7c0da967a3362..6355315a91fbbc5cde444935e1086c163c321348 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.h
@@ -29,9 +29,49 @@ union perf_event;
 struct perf_session;
 struct perf_evlist;
 struct perf_tool;
+struct option;
 struct record_opts;
 struct auxtrace_info_event;
 
+enum itrace_period_type {
+	PERF_ITRACE_PERIOD_INSTRUCTIONS,
+	PERF_ITRACE_PERIOD_TICKS,
+	PERF_ITRACE_PERIOD_NANOSECS,
+};
+
+/**
+ * struct itrace_synth_opts - AUX area tracing synthesis options.
+ * @set: indicates whether or not options have been set
+ * @inject: indicates the event (not just the sample) must be fully synthesized
+ *          because 'perf inject' will write it out
+ * @instructions: whether to synthesize 'instructions' events
+ * @branches: whether to synthesize 'branches' events
+ * @errors: whether to synthesize decoder error events
+ * @dont_decode: whether to skip decoding entirely
+ * @log: write a decoding log
+ * @calls: limit branch samples to calls (can be combined with @returns)
+ * @returns: limit branch samples to returns (can be combined with @calls)
+ * @callchain: add callchain to 'instructions' events
+ * @callchain_sz: maximum callchain size
+ * @period: 'instructions' events period
+ * @period_type: 'instructions' events period type
+ */
+struct itrace_synth_opts {
+	bool			set;
+	bool			inject;
+	bool			instructions;
+	bool			branches;
+	bool			errors;
+	bool			dont_decode;
+	bool			log;
+	bool			calls;
+	bool			returns;
+	bool			callchain;
+	unsigned int		callchain_sz;
+	unsigned long long	period;
+	enum itrace_period_type	period_type;
+};
+
 /**
  * struct auxtrace - session callbacks to allow AUX area data decoding.
  * @process_event: lets the decoder see all session events
@@ -186,6 +226,9 @@ int perf_event__synthesize_auxtrace_info(struct auxtrace_record *itr,
 					 struct perf_tool *tool,
 					 struct perf_session *session,
 					 perf_event__handler_t process);
+int itrace_parse_synth_opts(const struct option *opt, const char *str,
+			    int unset);
+void itrace_synth_opts__set_default(struct itrace_synth_opts *synth_opts);
 
 static inline int auxtrace__process_event(struct perf_session *session,
 					  union perf_event *event,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/session.h b/tools/perf/util/session.h
index 8a69d3bfafdf131210b0e7c18413a115ab95b1b3..9ed51353a3d7b60a6682497212daece97d5f75c6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/session.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/session.h
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@ struct ip_callchain;
 struct thread;
 
 struct auxtrace;
+struct itrace_synth_opts;
 
 struct perf_session {
 	struct perf_header	header;
 	struct machines		machines;
 	struct perf_evlist	*evlist;
 	struct auxtrace		*auxtrace;
+	struct itrace_synth_opts *itrace_synth_opts;
 	struct trace_event	tevent;
 	bool			repipe;
 	bool			one_mmap;