diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index a7c53a9..be4e1ee 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -473,6 +473,9 @@
 	if (!have_tracepoints(&evsel_list->entries))
 		perf_header__clear_feat(&session->header, HEADER_TRACE_INFO);
 
+	if (!rec->opts.branch_stack)
+		perf_header__clear_feat(&session->header, HEADER_BRANCH_STACK);
+
 	if (!rec->file_new) {
 		err = perf_session__read_header(session, output);
 		if (err < 0)