diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-top.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-top.txt
index 8a32cc77bead..a039407d63b8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-top.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-top.txt
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ Default is to monitor all CPUS.
 
 -F <freq>::
 --freq=<freq>::
-	Profile at this frequency.
+	Profile at this frequency. Use 'max' to use the currently maximum
+	allowed frequency, i.e. the value in the kernel.perf_event_max_sample_rate
+	sysctl.
 
 -i::
 --inherit::
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
index 35ac016fcb98..bb4f9fafd11d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
@@ -1307,7 +1307,9 @@ int cmd_top(int argc, const char **argv)
 	OPT_STRING(0, "sym-annotate", &top.sym_filter, "symbol name",
 		    "symbol to annotate"),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN('z', "zero", &top.zero, "zero history across updates"),
-	OPT_UINTEGER('F', "freq", &opts->user_freq, "profile at this frequency"),
+	OPT_CALLBACK('F', "freq", &top.record_opts, "freq or 'max'",
+		     "profile at this frequency",
+		      record__parse_freq),
 	OPT_INTEGER('E', "entries", &top.print_entries,
 		    "display this many functions"),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN('U', "hide_user_symbols", &top.hide_user_symbols,