diff --git a/src/intel/common/intel_measure.c b/src/intel/common/intel_measure.c
index 80ba409b8b5..ff85a94c8fd 100644
--- a/src/intel/common/intel_measure.c
+++ b/src/intel/common/intel_measure.c
@@ -116,12 +116,8 @@ intel_measure_init(struct intel_measure_device *device)
 
       if (filename && __normal_user()) {
          filename += 5;
-         config.file = fopen(filename, "w");
-         if (!config.file) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "INTEL_MEASURE failed to open output file %s: %s\n",
-                    filename, strerror (errno));
-            abort();
-         }
+         config.deferred_create_filename = malloc(strlen(filename));
+         strcpy(config.deferred_create_filename, filename);
       }
 
       if (start_frame_s) {
@@ -219,16 +215,6 @@ intel_measure_init(struct intel_measure_device *device)
       if (cpu_s) {
          config.cpu_measure = true;
       }
-
-      if (!config.cpu_measure)
-         fputs("draw_start,draw_end,frame,batch,batch_size,renderpass,"
-               "event_index,event_count,type,count,vs,tcs,tes,"
-               "gs,fs,cs,ms,ts,idle_us,time_us\n",
-               config.file);
-      else
-         fputs("draw_start,frame,batch,batch_size,event_index,event_count,"
-               "type,count\n",
-               config.file);
    }
 
    device->config = NULL;
@@ -670,6 +656,27 @@ static void
 intel_measure_print(struct intel_measure_device *device,
                     const struct intel_device_info *info)
 {
+   if (unlikely(config.deferred_create_filename)) {
+      config.file = fopen(config.deferred_create_filename, "w");
+      if (!config.file) {
+         fprintf(stderr, "INTEL_MEASURE failed to open output file %s: %s\n",
+                  config.deferred_create_filename, strerror(errno));
+         abort();
+      }
+      free(config.deferred_create_filename);
+      config.deferred_create_filename = NULL;
+
+      if (!config.cpu_measure)
+         fputs("draw_start,draw_end,frame,batch,batch_size,renderpass,"
+               "event_index,event_count,type,count,vs,tcs,tes,"
+               "gs,fs,cs,ms,ts,idle_us,time_us\n",
+               config.file);
+      else
+         fputs("draw_start,frame,batch,batch_size,event_index,event_count,"
+               "type,count\n",
+               config.file);
+   }
+
    while (true) {
       const int events_to_combine = buffered_event_count(device);
       if (events_to_combine == 0)
diff --git a/src/intel/common/intel_measure.h b/src/intel/common/intel_measure.h
index d54b4b5c74a..5c2a2916f9b 100644
--- a/src/intel/common/intel_measure.h
+++ b/src/intel/common/intel_measure.h
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ struct intel_measure_config {
    /* Stderr, or optionally set with INTEL_MEASURE=file={path{ */
    FILE                      *file;
 
+   /* Defer log file create until first write */
+   char                      *deferred_create_filename;
+
    /* Events that will be measured.  Set only one flag, with
     * INTEL_MEASURE=[draw,rt,shader,batch,frame] */
    enum intel_measure_events  flags;