diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
index b2b675c7d663..0dbbf6cca9bc 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
@@ -1361,9 +1361,12 @@ static const char *hist_field_name(struct hist_field *field,
 		 field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF) {
 		if (field->system) {
 			static char full_name[MAX_FILTER_STR_VAL];
+			static char *fmt;
 			int len;
 
-			len = snprintf(full_name, sizeof(full_name), "%s.%s.%s",
+			fmt = field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF ? "%s.%s.$%s" : "%s.%s.%s";
+
+			len = snprintf(full_name, sizeof(full_name), fmt,
 				       field->system, field->event_name,
 				       field->name);
 			if (len >= sizeof(full_name))
@@ -1742,9 +1745,10 @@ static const char *get_hist_field_flags(struct hist_field *hist_field)
 
 static void expr_field_str(struct hist_field *field, char *expr)
 {
-	if (field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF)
-		strcat(expr, "$");
-	else if (field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_CONST) {
+	if (field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF) {
+		if (!field->system)
+			strcat(expr, "$");
+	} else if (field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_CONST) {
 		char str[HIST_CONST_DIGITS_MAX];
 
 		snprintf(str, HIST_CONST_DIGITS_MAX, "%llu", field->constant);
@@ -6156,7 +6160,8 @@ static void hist_field_print(struct seq_file *m, struct hist_field *hist_field)
 	else if (field_name) {
 		if (hist_field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF ||
 		    hist_field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_ALIAS)
-			seq_putc(m, '$');
+			if (!hist_field->system)
+				seq_putc(m, '$');
 		seq_printf(m, "%s", field_name);
 	} else if (hist_field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_TIMESTAMP)
 		seq_puts(m, "common_timestamp");