diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
index d9f2de3..c877982 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@
 	if (rep->cpu_list && !test_bit(sample->cpu, rep->cpu_bitmap))
 		return 0;
 
-	if (sort__branch_mode == 1) {
+	if (sort__mode == SORT_MODE__BRANCH) {
 		if (perf_report__add_branch_hist_entry(tool, &al, sample,
 						       evsel, machine)) {
 			pr_debug("problem adding lbr entry, skipping event\n");
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@
 			}
 	}
 
-	if (sort__branch_mode == 1) {
+	if (sort__mode == SORT_MODE__BRANCH) {
 		if (!self->fd_pipe &&
 		    !(sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_STACK)) {
 			ui__error("Selected -b but no branch data. "
@@ -694,7 +694,9 @@
 parse_branch_mode(const struct option *opt __maybe_unused,
 		  const char *str __maybe_unused, int unset)
 {
-	sort__branch_mode = !unset;
+	int *branch_mode = opt->value;
+
+	*branch_mode = !unset;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -703,6 +705,7 @@
 	struct perf_session *session;
 	struct stat st;
 	bool has_br_stack = false;
+	int branch_mode = -1;
 	int ret = -1;
 	char callchain_default_opt[] = "fractal,0.5,callee";
 	const char * const report_usage[] = {
@@ -799,7 +802,7 @@
 		    "Show a column with the sum of periods"),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN(0, "group", &symbol_conf.event_group,
 		    "Show event group information together"),
-	OPT_CALLBACK_NOOPT('b', "branch-stack", &sort__branch_mode, "",
+	OPT_CALLBACK_NOOPT('b', "branch-stack", &branch_mode, "",
 		    "use branch records for histogram filling", parse_branch_mode),
 	OPT_STRING(0, "objdump", &objdump_path, "path",
 		   "objdump binary to use for disassembly and annotations"),
@@ -849,11 +852,11 @@
 	has_br_stack = perf_header__has_feat(&session->header,
 					     HEADER_BRANCH_STACK);
 
-	if (sort__branch_mode == -1 && has_br_stack)
-		sort__branch_mode = 1;
+	if (branch_mode == -1 && has_br_stack)
+		sort__mode = SORT_MODE__BRANCH;
 
-	/* sort__branch_mode could be 0 if --no-branch-stack */
-	if (sort__branch_mode == 1) {
+	/* sort__mode could be NORMAL if --no-branch-stack */
+	if (sort__mode == SORT_MODE__BRANCH) {
 		/*
 		 * if no sort_order is provided, then specify
 		 * branch-mode specific order
@@ -864,7 +867,7 @@
 
 	}
 	if (report.mem_mode) {
-		if (sort__branch_mode == 1) {
+		if (sort__mode == SORT_MODE__BRANCH) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "branch and mem mode incompatible\n");
 			goto error;
 		}
@@ -934,7 +937,7 @@
 
 	sort_entry__setup_elide(&sort_comm, symbol_conf.comm_list, "comm", stdout);
 
-	if (sort__branch_mode == 1) {
+	if (sort__mode == SORT_MODE__BRANCH) {
 		sort_entry__setup_elide(&sort_dso_from, symbol_conf.dso_from_list, "dso_from", stdout);
 		sort_entry__setup_elide(&sort_dso_to, symbol_conf.dso_to_list, "dso_to", stdout);
 		sort_entry__setup_elide(&sort_sym_from, symbol_conf.sym_from_list, "sym_from", stdout);
diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
index d88a2d0..cad8e37 100644
--- a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
+++ b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
@@ -1155,7 +1155,7 @@
 		browser->b.refresh = hist_browser__refresh;
 		browser->b.seek = ui_browser__hists_seek;
 		browser->b.use_navkeypressed = true;
-		if (sort__branch_mode == 1)
+		if (sort__mode == SORT_MODE__BRANCH)
 			browser->has_symbols = sort_sym_from.list.next != NULL;
 		else
 			browser->has_symbols = sort_sym.list.next != NULL;
@@ -1488,7 +1488,7 @@
 		if (!browser->has_symbols)
 			goto add_exit_option;
 
-		if (sort__branch_mode == 1) {
+		if (sort__mode == SORT_MODE__BRANCH) {
 			bi = browser->he_selection->branch_info;
 			if (browser->selection != NULL &&
 			    bi &&
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.c b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
index 16d5e38..a6ddad4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 int		sort__need_collapse = 0;
 int		sort__has_parent = 0;
 int		sort__has_sym = 0;
-int		sort__branch_mode = -1; /* -1 = means not set */
+enum sort_mode	sort__mode = SORT_MODE__NORMAL;
 
 enum sort_type	sort__first_dimension;
 
@@ -943,7 +943,7 @@
 		if (strncasecmp(tok, sd->name, strlen(tok)))
 			continue;
 
-		if (sort__branch_mode != 1)
+		if (sort__mode != SORT_MODE__BRANCH)
 			return -EINVAL;
 
 		if (sd->entry == &sort_sym_from || sd->entry == &sort_sym_to)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.h b/tools/perf/util/sort.h
index f24bdf6..39ff4b8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 extern int sort__need_collapse;
 extern int sort__has_parent;
 extern int sort__has_sym;
-extern int sort__branch_mode;
+extern enum sort_mode sort__mode;
 extern struct sort_entry sort_comm;
 extern struct sort_entry sort_dso;
 extern struct sort_entry sort_sym;
@@ -123,6 +123,12 @@
 	list_add_tail(&he->pairs.head, &pair->pairs.node);
 }
 
+enum sort_mode {
+	SORT_MODE__NORMAL,
+	SORT_MODE__BRANCH,
+	SORT_MODE__MEMORY,
+};
+
 enum sort_type {
 	/* common sort keys */
 	SORT_PID,