diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
index 7bcc32a7e266a9f3c07da1fe9f246eb3e778b187..7e88daae85b6ef0334d69ae3326b342424918046 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
@@ -5162,7 +5162,7 @@ static int event_hist_trigger_func(struct event_command *cmd_ops,
 	struct synth_event *se;
 	const char *se_name;
 	bool remove = false;
-	char *trigger;
+	char *trigger, *p;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	if (!param)
@@ -5171,10 +5171,37 @@ static int event_hist_trigger_func(struct event_command *cmd_ops,
 	if (glob[0] == '!')
 		remove = true;
 
-	/* separate the trigger from the filter (k:v [if filter]) */
-	trigger = strsep(&param, " \t");
-	if (!trigger)
-		return -EINVAL;
+	/*
+	 * separate the trigger from the filter (k:v [if filter])
+	 * allowing for whitespace in the trigger
+	 */
+	p = trigger = param;
+	do {
+		p = strstr(p, "if");
+		if (!p)
+			break;
+		if (p == param)
+			return -EINVAL;
+		if (*(p - 1) != ' ' && *(p - 1) != '\t') {
+			p++;
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (p >= param + strlen(param) - strlen("if") - 1)
+			return -EINVAL;
+		if (*(p + strlen("if")) != ' ' && *(p + strlen("if")) != '\t') {
+			p++;
+			continue;
+		}
+		break;
+	} while (p);
+
+	if (!p)
+		param = NULL;
+	else {
+		*(p - 1) = '\0';
+		param = strstrip(p);
+		trigger = strstrip(trigger);
+	}
 
 	attrs = parse_hist_trigger_attrs(trigger);
 	if (IS_ERR(attrs))