diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index d7c7d29291fbfe..d466447ae928a4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -2107,8 +2107,12 @@ static int trace__read_syscall_info(struct trace *trace, int id)
 		return PTR_ERR(sc->tp_format);
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * The tracepoint format contains __syscall_nr field, so it's one more
+	 * than the actual number of syscall arguments.
+	 */
 	if (syscall__alloc_arg_fmts(sc, IS_ERR(sc->tp_format) ?
-					RAW_SYSCALL_ARGS_NUM : sc->tp_format->format.nr_fields))
+					RAW_SYSCALL_ARGS_NUM : sc->tp_format->format.nr_fields - 1))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	sc->args = sc->tp_format->format.fields;