diff --git a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_top.c b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_top.c
index d358cd39f360..f387597d3ac2 100644
--- a/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_top.c
+++ b/tools/tracing/rtla/src/timerlat_top.c
@@ -851,12 +851,15 @@ timerlat_top_apply_config(struct osnoise_tool *top, struct timerlat_top_params *
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (params->user_top) {
-		retval = osnoise_set_workload(top->context, 0);
-		if (retval) {
-			err_msg("Failed to set OSNOISE_WORKLOAD option\n");
-			goto out_err;
-		}
+	/*
+	* Set workload according to type of thread if the kernel supports it.
+	* On kernels without support, user threads will have already failed
+	* on missing timerlat_fd, and kernel threads do not need it.
+	*/
+	retval = osnoise_set_workload(top->context, params->kernel_workload);
+	if (retval < -1) {
+		err_msg("Failed to set OSNOISE_WORKLOAD option\n");
+		goto out_err;
 	}
 
 	if (isatty(STDOUT_FILENO) && !params->quiet)