diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
index 6211d0b84b7a..42eb6bdf3c58 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
@@ -4039,11 +4039,15 @@ int cmd_script(int argc, const char **argv)
 		goto out_delete;
 
 	uname(&uts);
-	if (data.is_pipe ||  /* assume pipe_mode indicates native_arch */
-	    !strcmp(uts.machine, session->header.env.arch) ||
-	    (!strcmp(uts.machine, "x86_64") &&
-	     !strcmp(session->header.env.arch, "i386")))
+	if (data.is_pipe) { /* Assume pipe_mode indicates native_arch */
 		native_arch = true;
+	} else if (session->header.env.arch) {
+		if (!strcmp(uts.machine, session->header.env.arch))
+			native_arch = true;
+		else if (!strcmp(uts.machine, "x86_64") &&
+			 !strcmp(session->header.env.arch, "i386"))
+			native_arch = true;
+	}
 
 	script.session = session;
 	script__setup_sample_type(&script);