diff --git a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c
index ed08295bfa12c85467bfa5af08a9d6d5183d8486..83cc7ef3d36b3077b4e8e73a2008a2a8a1b0f68d 100644
--- a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c
+++ b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_hist.c
@@ -783,9 +783,12 @@ static struct osnoise_tool
 }
 
 static int stop_tracing;
+static struct trace_instance *hist_inst = NULL;
 static void stop_hist(int sig)
 {
 	stop_tracing = 1;
+	if (hist_inst)
+		trace_instance_stop(hist_inst);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -828,6 +831,12 @@ int timerlat_hist_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 
 	trace = &tool->trace;
+	/*
+	 * Save trace instance into global variable so that SIGINT can stop
+	 * the timerlat tracer.
+	 * Otherwise, rtla could loop indefinitely when overloaded.
+	 */
+	hist_inst = trace;
 
 	retval = enable_timerlat(trace);
 	if (retval) {
@@ -894,7 +903,7 @@ int timerlat_hist_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	return_value = 0;
 
-	if (trace_is_off(&tool->trace, &record->trace)) {
+	if (trace_is_off(&tool->trace, &record->trace) && !stop_tracing) {
 		printf("rtla timerlat hit stop tracing\n");
 		if (params->trace_output) {
 			printf("  Saving trace to %s\n", params->trace_output);