diff --git a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/osnoise_hist.c b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/osnoise_hist.c
index 1d06ea47b663..ff8c231e47c4 100644
--- a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/osnoise_hist.c
+++ b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/osnoise_hist.c
@@ -534,7 +534,8 @@ static struct common_params
 			params->threshold = 1;
 
 			/* set trace */
-			trace_output = "osnoise_trace.txt";
+			if (!trace_output)
+				trace_output = "osnoise_trace.txt";
 
 			break;
 		case 'b':
diff --git a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/osnoise_top.c b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/osnoise_top.c
index cac60e4c267e..04c699bdd736 100644
--- a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/osnoise_top.c
+++ b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/osnoise_top.c
@@ -386,7 +386,8 @@ struct common_params *osnoise_top_parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 			params->threshold = 1;
 
 			/* set trace */
-			trace_output = "osnoise_trace.txt";
+			if (!trace_output)
+				trace_output = "osnoise_trace.txt";
 
 			break;
 		case 'c':
diff --git a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c
index 961aa969c003..1fb471a787b7 100644
--- a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c
+++ b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c
@@ -853,7 +853,8 @@ static struct common_params
 			params->print_stack = auto_thresh;
 
 			/* set trace */
-			trace_output = "timerlat_trace.txt";
+			if (!trace_output)
+				trace_output = "timerlat_trace.txt";
 
 			break;
 		case 'c':
diff --git a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_top.c b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_top.c
index 213356a5be52..fec113ce370e 100644
--- a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_top.c
+++ b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_top.c
@@ -617,7 +617,8 @@ static struct common_params
 			params->print_stack = auto_thresh;
 
 			/* set trace */
-			trace_output = "timerlat_trace.txt";
+			if (!trace_output)
+				trace_output = "timerlat_trace.txt";
 
 			break;
 		case '5':