diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
index 8a4506113d9fb7..ebcba1f95513d7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
@@ -574,6 +574,10 @@ Implies --tail-synthesize.
 --kcore::
 Make a copy of /proc/kcore and place it into a directory with the perf data file.
 
+--max-size=<size>::
+Limit the sample data max size, <size> is expected to be a number with
+appended unit character - B/K/M/G
+
 SEE ALSO
 --------
 linkperf:perf-stat[1], linkperf:perf-list[1]
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index f6664bb08b26fc..b95c000c1ed9b2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -94,8 +94,11 @@ struct record {
 	struct switch_output	switch_output;
 	unsigned long long	samples;
 	cpu_set_t		affinity_mask;
+	unsigned long		output_max_size;	/* = 0: unlimited */
 };
 
+static volatile int done;
+
 static volatile int auxtrace_record__snapshot_started;
 static DEFINE_TRIGGER(auxtrace_snapshot_trigger);
 static DEFINE_TRIGGER(switch_output_trigger);
@@ -123,6 +126,12 @@ static bool switch_output_time(struct record *rec)
 	       trigger_is_ready(&switch_output_trigger);
 }
 
+static bool record__output_max_size_exceeded(struct record *rec)
+{
+	return rec->output_max_size &&
+	       (rec->bytes_written >= rec->output_max_size);
+}
+
 static int record__write(struct record *rec, struct mmap *map __maybe_unused,
 			 void *bf, size_t size)
 {
@@ -135,6 +144,13 @@ static int record__write(struct record *rec, struct mmap *map __maybe_unused,
 
 	rec->bytes_written += size;
 
+	if (record__output_max_size_exceeded(rec) && !done) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "[ perf record: perf size limit reached (%" PRIu64 " KB),"
+				" stopping session ]\n",
+				rec->bytes_written >> 10);
+		done = 1;
+	}
+
 	if (switch_output_size(rec))
 		trigger_hit(&switch_output_trigger);
 
@@ -499,7 +515,6 @@ static int record__pushfn(struct mmap *map, void *to, void *bf, size_t size)
 	return record__write(rec, map, bf, size);
 }
 
-static volatile int done;
 static volatile int signr = -1;
 static volatile int child_finished;
 
@@ -1984,6 +1999,33 @@ static int record__parse_affinity(const struct option *opt, const char *str, int
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int parse_output_max_size(const struct option *opt,
+				 const char *str, int unset)
+{
+	unsigned long *s = (unsigned long *)opt->value;
+	static struct parse_tag tags_size[] = {
+		{ .tag  = 'B', .mult = 1       },
+		{ .tag  = 'K', .mult = 1 << 10 },
+		{ .tag  = 'M', .mult = 1 << 20 },
+		{ .tag  = 'G', .mult = 1 << 30 },
+		{ .tag  = 0 },
+	};
+	unsigned long val;
+
+	if (unset) {
+		*s = 0;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	val = parse_tag_value(str, tags_size);
+	if (val != (unsigned long) -1) {
+		*s = val;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
 static int record__parse_mmap_pages(const struct option *opt,
 				    const char *str,
 				    int unset __maybe_unused)
@@ -2311,6 +2353,8 @@ static struct option __record_options[] = {
 			    "n", "Compressed records using specified level (default: 1 - fastest compression, 22 - greatest compression)",
 			    record__parse_comp_level),
 #endif
+	OPT_CALLBACK(0, "max-size", &record.output_max_size,
+		     "size", "Limit the maximum size of the output file", parse_output_max_size),
 	OPT_END()
 };