diff --git a/tools/perf/util/event.c b/tools/perf/util/event.c
index 07c07833de53a2b6063880af4314038f3b5d57b7..2905771a1f494ac7c65aa605c6fd2b62a60025ca 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/event.c
@@ -106,8 +106,12 @@ static pid_t perf_event__synthesize_comm(struct perf_tool *tool,
 
 	memset(&event->comm, 0, sizeof(event->comm));
 
-	tgid = perf_event__get_comm_tgid(pid, event->comm.comm,
-					 sizeof(event->comm.comm));
+	if (machine__is_host(machine))
+		tgid = perf_event__get_comm_tgid(pid, event->comm.comm,
+						 sizeof(event->comm.comm));
+	else
+		tgid = machine->pid;
+
 	if (tgid < 0)
 		goto out;