diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-timechart.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-timechart.txt
index 61e0104c6270..1c2ed3090cce 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-timechart.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-timechart.txt
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ OPTIONS
 -i::
 --input=::
         Select the input file (default: perf.data)
+-w::
+--width=::
+        Select the width of the SVG file (default: 1000)
 
 
 SEE ALSO
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
index 23b3f09d19aa..600406396274 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
@@ -915,9 +915,9 @@ static void write_svg_file(const char *filename)
 	if (count < 15)
 		count = determine_display_tasks(TIME_THRESH / 10);
 
-	open_svg(filename, numcpus, count);
+	open_svg(filename, numcpus, count, first_time, last_time);
 
-	svg_time_grid(first_time, last_time);
+	svg_time_grid();
 	svg_legenda();
 
 	for (i = 0; i < numcpus; i++)
@@ -1132,6 +1132,8 @@ static const struct option options[] = {
 		    "input file name"),
 	OPT_STRING('o', "output", &output_name, "file",
 		    "output file name"),
+	OPT_INTEGER('w', "width", &svg_page_width,
+		    "page width"),
 	OPT_END()
 };
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/svghelper.c b/tools/perf/util/svghelper.c
index 52f628fe6421..be1555e241b2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/svghelper.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/svghelper.c
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ static u64 turbo_frequency, max_freq;
 
 #define SLOT_MULT 30.0
 #define SLOT_HEIGHT 25.0
-#define WIDTH 1000.0
+
+int svg_page_width = 1000;
 
 #define MIN_TEXT_SIZE 0.001
 
@@ -46,21 +47,35 @@ static double time2pixels(u64 time)
 {
 	double X;
 
-	X = WIDTH * (time - first_time) / (last_time - first_time);
+	X = 1.0 * svg_page_width * (time - first_time) / (last_time - first_time);
 	return X;
 }
 
-void open_svg(const char *filename, int cpus, int rows)
+void open_svg(const char *filename, int cpus, int rows, u64 start, u64 end)
 {
+	int new_width;
 
 	svgfile = fopen(filename, "w");
 	if (!svgfile) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Cannot open %s for output\n", filename);
 		return;
 	}
+	first_time = start;
+	first_time = first_time / 100000000 * 100000000;
+	last_time = end;
+
+	/*
+	 * if the recording is short, we default to a width of 1000, but
+	 * for longer recordings we want at least 200 units of width per second
+	 */
+	new_width = (last_time - first_time) / 5000000;
+
+	if (new_width > svg_page_width)
+		svg_page_width = new_width;
+
 	total_height = (1 + rows + cpu2slot(cpus)) * SLOT_MULT;
 	fprintf(svgfile, "<?xml version=\"1.0\" standalone=\"no\"?> \n");
-	fprintf(svgfile, "<svg width=\"%4.1f\" height=\"%llu\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\">\n", WIDTH, total_height);
+	fprintf(svgfile, "<svg width=\"%i\" height=\"%llu\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\">\n", svg_page_width, total_height);
 
 	fprintf(svgfile, "<defs>\n  <style type=\"text/css\">\n    <![CDATA[\n");
 
@@ -404,15 +419,10 @@ void svg_legenda(void)
 	svg_legenda_box(800,	"Blocked on IO", "blocked");
 }
 
-void svg_time_grid(u64 start, u64 end)
+void svg_time_grid(void)
 {
 	u64 i;
 
-	first_time = start;
-	last_time = end;
-
-	first_time = first_time / 100000000 * 100000000;
-
 	if (!svgfile)
 		return;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/svghelper.h b/tools/perf/util/svghelper.h
index ed4ebcfaf493..cd93195aedb3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/svghelper.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/svghelper.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "types.h"
 
-extern void open_svg(const char *filename, int cpus, int rows);
+extern void open_svg(const char *filename, int cpus, int rows, u64 start, u64 end);
 extern void svg_box(int Yslot, u64 start, u64 end, const char *type);
 extern void svg_sample(int Yslot, int cpu, u64 start, u64 end);
 extern void svg_waiting(int Yslot, u64 start, u64 end);
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ extern void svg_cstate(int cpu, u64 start, u64 end, int type);
 extern void svg_pstate(int cpu, u64 start, u64 end, u64 freq);
 
 
-extern void svg_time_grid(u64 start, u64 end);
+extern void svg_time_grid(void);
 extern void svg_legenda(void);
 extern void svg_wakeline(u64 start, int row1, int row2);
 extern void svg_partial_wakeline(u64 start, int row1, char *desc1, int row2, char *desc2);
@@ -23,4 +23,6 @@ extern void svg_interrupt(u64 start, int row);
 extern void svg_text(int Yslot, u64 start, const char *text);
 extern void svg_close(void);
 
+extern int svg_page_width;
+
 #endif