diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.c b/tools/perf/util/header.c
index c0b70c697a363905d953b0af83202492c431ee80..5a4482c2a7d5dfcd97e9e65ab01ee18673f64e85 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.c
@@ -1060,25 +1060,19 @@ static void print_cpudesc(struct perf_header *ph, int fd, FILE *fp)
 static void print_nrcpus(struct perf_header *ph, int fd, FILE *fp)
 {
 	ssize_t ret;
-	u32 nr;
+	u32 nr[2];
 
 	ret = read(fd, &nr, sizeof(nr));
 	if (ret != (ssize_t)sizeof(nr))
-		nr = -1; /* interpreted as error */
+		nr[0] = nr[1] = -1; /* interpreted as error */
 
-	if (ph->needs_swap)
-		nr = bswap_32(nr);
-
-	fprintf(fp, "# nrcpus online : %u\n", nr);
-
-	ret = read(fd, &nr, sizeof(nr));
-	if (ret != (ssize_t)sizeof(nr))
-		nr = -1; /* interpreted as error */
-
-	if (ph->needs_swap)
-		nr = bswap_32(nr);
+	if (ph->needs_swap) {
+		nr[0] = bswap_32(nr[0]);
+		nr[1] = bswap_32(nr[1]);
+	}
 
-	fprintf(fp, "# nrcpus avail : %u\n", nr);
+	fprintf(fp, "# nrcpus online : %u\n", nr[1]);
+	fprintf(fp, "# nrcpus avail : %u\n", nr[0]);
 }
 
 static void print_version(struct perf_header *ph, int fd, FILE *fp)