diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index af2a3bf659f76e096ca53a09f922cc3e4cf77f5e..c9c896a94feea1428fa3c896384b6c454532dea2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -1310,6 +1310,19 @@ static const char * const recort_usage[] = {
 	NULL,
 };
 
+static void init_features(struct perf_session *session)
+{
+	int feat;
+
+	for (feat = HEADER_FIRST_FEATURE; feat < HEADER_LAST_FEATURE; feat++)
+		perf_header__set_feat(&session->header, feat);
+
+	perf_header__clear_feat(&session->header, HEADER_BUILD_ID);
+	perf_header__clear_feat(&session->header, HEADER_TRACING_DATA);
+	perf_header__clear_feat(&session->header, HEADER_BRANCH_STACK);
+	perf_header__clear_feat(&session->header, HEADER_AUXTRACE);
+}
+
 static int __cmd_record(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
 	struct perf_session *session;
@@ -1331,6 +1344,8 @@ static int __cmd_record(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (perf_stat.file.is_pipe)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	init_features(session);
+
 	session->evlist   = evsel_list;
 	perf_stat.session = session;
 	perf_stat.record  = true;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/session.c b/tools/perf/util/session.c
index a90c74b67e43337fd77b05e39dbf73f8a3b795a8..d5636ba94b20f722d3f521614e8fae08b620fad4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/session.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/session.c
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ static int perf_session__open(struct perf_session *session)
 	if (perf_data_file__is_pipe(file))
 		return 0;
 
+	if (perf_header__has_feat(&session->header, HEADER_STAT))
+		return 0;
+
 	if (!perf_evlist__valid_sample_type(session->evlist)) {
 		pr_err("non matching sample_type\n");
 		return -1;