diff --git a/tools/perf/util/cs-etm.c b/tools/perf/util/cs-etm.c
index c283223fb31f22479ecfa9e46cdc888c902025c4..a2a369e2fbb67eadbf1474d87a1b55e335bb0f8b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/cs-etm.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/cs-etm.c
@@ -1344,8 +1344,15 @@ static int cs_etm__synth_events(struct cs_etm_auxtrace *etm,
 		attr.sample_type &= ~(u64)PERF_SAMPLE_ADDR;
 	}
 
-	if (etm->synth_opts.last_branch)
+	if (etm->synth_opts.last_branch) {
 		attr.sample_type |= PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_STACK;
+		/*
+		 * We don't use the hardware index, but the sample generation
+		 * code uses the new format branch_stack with this field,
+		 * so the event attributes must indicate that it's present.
+		 */
+		attr.branch_sample_type |= PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_HW_INDEX;
+	}
 
 	if (etm->synth_opts.instructions) {
 		attr.config = PERF_COUNT_HW_INSTRUCTIONS;