diff --git a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c
index 83cc7ef3d36b..b7a7dcd68b57 100644
--- a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c
+++ b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c
@@ -786,6 +786,14 @@ static int stop_tracing;
 static struct trace_instance *hist_inst = NULL;
 static void stop_hist(int sig)
 {
+	if (stop_tracing) {
+		/*
+		 * Stop requested twice in a row; abort event processing and
+		 * exit immediately
+		 */
+		tracefs_iterate_stop(hist_inst->inst);
+		return;
+	}
 	stop_tracing = 1;
 	if (hist_inst)
 		trace_instance_stop(hist_inst);