diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 8c837c8a6c8c..f5eb1af8302c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include "term.h"
+#include "env.h"
 #include "evlist.h"
 #include "evsel.h"
 #include <subcmd/parse-options.h>
@@ -673,7 +674,22 @@ static int add_tracepoint_multi_sys(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,
 
 size_t default_breakpoint_len(void)
 {
+#if defined(__i386__)
+	static int len;
+
+	if (len == 0) {
+		struct perf_env env = {};
+
+		perf_env__init(&env);
+		len = perf_env__kernel_is_64_bit(&env) ? sizeof(u64) : sizeof(long);
+		perf_env__exit(&env);
+	}
+	return len;
+#elif defined(__aarch64__)
+	return 4;
+#else
 	return sizeof(long);
+#endif
 }
 
 static int