diff --git a/cmds/dump.c b/cmds/dump.c
index 0c3b3bbcd..04ed1947f 100644
--- a/cmds/dump.c
+++ b/cmds/dump.c
@@ -1013,9 +1013,12 @@ static void dump_chrome_footer(struct uftrace_dump_ops *ops,
 	struct uftrace_chrome_dump *chrome = container_of(ops, typeof(*chrome), ops);
 
 	/* read recorded date and time */
-	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info", opts->dirname);
-	if (stat(buf, &statbuf) < 0)
-		return;
+	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info.txt", opts->dirname);
+	if (stat(buf, &statbuf) < 0) {
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info", opts->dirname);
+		if (stat(buf, &statbuf) < 0)
+			return;
+	}
 
 	ctime_r(&statbuf.st_mtime, buf);
 	buf[strlen(buf) - 1] = '\0';
diff --git a/cmds/info.c b/cmds/info.c
index a83ce6823..fdad1d97b 100644
--- a/cmds/info.c
+++ b/cmds/info.c
@@ -853,6 +853,85 @@ static int read_uftrace_version(void *arg)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void write_header(int fd, struct uftrace_file_header *hdr)
+{
+	dprintf(fd, "magic:%s\n", hdr->magic);
+	dprintf(fd, "version:%u\n", hdr->version);
+	dprintf(fd, "header_size:%u\n", hdr->header_size);
+	dprintf(fd, "endian:%u\n", hdr->endian);
+	dprintf(fd, "elf_class:%u\n", hdr->elf_class);
+	dprintf(fd, "feat_mask:%"PRIu64"\n", hdr->feat_mask);
+	dprintf(fd, "info_mask:%"PRIu64"\n", hdr->info_mask);
+	dprintf(fd, "max_stack:%u\n", hdr->max_stack);
+}
+
+static char *read_header_field(FILE *fp, struct uftrace_file_header *hdr,
+		const char *field, char *buf)
+{
+	int len = strlen(field);
+
+	if (fgets(buf, PATH_MAX, fp) == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+	if (strncmp(buf, field, len))
+		return NULL;
+	return &buf[len];
+}
+
+int read_header(struct uftrace_file_header *hdr, FILE *fp, bool is_info_txt)
+{
+	char buf[PATH_MAX];
+	char *data;
+
+	if (!is_info_txt) {
+		if (fread(hdr, sizeof(*hdr), 1, fp) != 1)
+			return -1;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	data = read_header_field(fp, hdr, "magic:", buf);
+	if (!data)
+		return -1;
+	memcpy(hdr->magic, copy_info_str(data), UFTRACE_MAGIC_LEN - 1);
+
+	data = read_header_field(fp, hdr, "version:", buf);
+	if (!data)
+		return -1;
+	sscanf(data, "%u", &hdr->version);
+
+	data = read_header_field(fp, hdr, "header_size:", buf);
+	if (!data)
+		return -1;
+	sscanf(data, "%hu", &hdr->header_size);
+
+	data = read_header_field(fp, hdr, "endian:", buf);
+	if (!data)
+		return -1;
+	sscanf(data, "%hhu", &hdr->endian);
+
+	data = read_header_field(fp, hdr, "elf_class:", buf);
+	if (!data)
+		return -1;
+	sscanf(data, "%hhu", &hdr->elf_class);
+
+	data = read_header_field(fp, hdr, "feat_mask:", buf);
+	if (!data)
+		return -1;
+	sscanf(data, "%"PRIu64, &hdr->feat_mask);
+
+	data = read_header_field(fp, hdr, "info_mask:", buf);
+	if (!data)
+		return -1;
+	sscanf(data, "%"PRIu64, &hdr->info_mask);
+
+	data = read_header_field(fp, hdr, "max_stack:", buf);
+	if (!data)
+		return -1;
+	sscanf(data, "%hu", &hdr->max_stack);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
 struct uftrace_info_handler {
 	enum uftrace_info_bits bit;
 	int (*handler)(void *arg);
@@ -987,10 +1066,12 @@ void process_uftrace_info(struct uftrace_data *handle, struct opts *opts,
 	if (info_mask == 0)
 		return;
 
-	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info", opts->dirname);
-
-	if (stat(buf, &statbuf) < 0)
-		return;
+	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info.txt", opts->dirname);
+	if (stat(buf, &statbuf) < 0) {
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info", opts->dirname);
+		if (stat(buf, &statbuf) < 0)
+			return;
+	}
 
 	process(data, "# system information\n");
 	process(data, "# ==================\n");
diff --git a/cmds/record.c b/cmds/record.c
index a51696df9..b144f1d21 100644
--- a/cmds/record.c
+++ b/cmds/record.c
@@ -421,11 +421,12 @@ static int fill_file_header(struct opts *opts, int status, struct rusage *rusage
 	char *filename = NULL;
 	struct uftrace_file_header hdr;
 	char elf_ident[EI_NIDENT];
+	char buf[PATH_MAX];
 
-	xasprintf(&filename, "%s/info", opts->dirname);
+	xasprintf(&filename, "%s/info.txt", opts->dirname);
 	pr_dbg3("fill header (metadata) info in %s\n", filename);
 
-	fd = open(filename, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT| O_TRUNC, 0644);
+	fd = open(filename, O_RDWR | O_CREAT| O_TRUNC, 0644);
 	if (fd < 0)
 		pr_err("cannot open info file");
 
@@ -447,26 +448,21 @@ static int fill_file_header(struct opts *opts, int status, struct rusage *rusage
 	hdr.unused1 = 0;
 	hdr.unused2 = 0;
 
-	if (write(fd, &hdr, sizeof(hdr)) != (int)sizeof(hdr))
-		pr_err("writing header info failed");
-
 	fill_uftrace_info(&hdr.info_mask, fd, opts, status,
 			  rusage, elapsed_time);
 
-try_write:
-	ret = pwrite(fd, &hdr, sizeof(hdr), 0);
-	if (ret != (int)sizeof(hdr)) {
-		static int retry = 0;
-
-		if (ret > 0 && retry++ < 3)
-			goto try_write;
+	memset(buf, 0, PATH_MAX);
+	lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET);
+	if (read(fd, buf, PATH_MAX) < 0)
+		goto close_efd;
 
+	lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET);
+	write_header(fd, &hdr);
+	if (write(fd, buf, strlen(buf)) < 0) {
 		pr_dbg("writing header info failed.\n");
 		goto close_efd;
 	}
-
 	ret = 0;
-
 close_efd:
 	close(efd);
 close_fd:
@@ -1367,14 +1363,12 @@ static void send_dbg_files(int sock, const char *dirname)
 static void send_info_file(int sock, const char *dirname)
 {
 	int fd;
-	char *filename = NULL;
 	struct uftrace_file_header hdr;
 	struct stat stbuf;
 	void *info;
 	int len;
 
-	xasprintf(&filename, "%s/info", dirname);
-	fd = open(filename, O_RDONLY);
+	fd = open_correct_info_file(dirname, O_RDONLY);
 	if (fd < 0)
 		pr_err("open info failed");
 
@@ -1394,7 +1388,6 @@ static void send_info_file(int sock, const char *dirname)
 
 	close(fd);
 	free(info);
-	free(filename);
 }
 
 static void send_kernel_metadata(int sock, const char *dirname)
diff --git a/cmds/recv.c b/cmds/recv.c
index 9c05d1b52..8e483c787 100644
--- a/cmds/recv.c
+++ b/cmds/recv.c
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ static void recv_trace_info(int sock, int len)
 	if (read_all(sock, info, len) < 0)
 		pr_err("recv info failed");
 
-	write_client_file(client, "info", 2, &hdr, sizeof(hdr), info, len);
+	write_client_file(client, "info.txt", 2, &hdr, sizeof(hdr), info, len);
 
 	free(info);
 }
diff --git a/uftrace.h b/uftrace.h
index 89b642343..23b7f5f33 100644
--- a/uftrace.h
+++ b/uftrace.h
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ int command_tui(int argc, char *argv[], struct opts *opts);
 extern volatile bool uftrace_done;
 
 int open_data_file(struct opts *opts, struct uftrace_data *handle);
+int open_correct_info_file(const char *dirname, int flags, ...);
 int open_info_file(struct opts *opts, struct uftrace_data *handle);
 void __close_data_file(struct opts *opts, struct uftrace_data *handle,
 		       bool unload_modules);
@@ -553,6 +554,9 @@ static inline bool has_event_data(struct uftrace_data *handle)
 
 struct rusage;
 
+
+void write_header(int fd, struct uftrace_file_header *hdr);
+int read_header(struct uftrace_file_header *hdr, FILE *fp, bool is_info_txt);
 void fill_uftrace_info(uint64_t *info_mask, int fd, struct opts *opts, int status,
 		      struct rusage *rusage, char *elapsed_time);
 int read_uftrace_info(uint64_t info_mask, struct uftrace_data *handle);
diff --git a/utils/data-file.c b/utils/data-file.c
index e8a0f34d3..658a78415 100644
--- a/utils/data-file.c
+++ b/utils/data-file.c
@@ -410,21 +410,56 @@ bool data_is_lp64(struct uftrace_data *handle)
 	return handle->hdr.elf_class == ELFCLASS64;
 }
 
+int open_correct_info_file(const char *dirname, int flags, ...)
+{
+	char buf[PATH_MAX];
+	struct stat statbuf;
+
+	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info.txt", dirname);
+	if (stat(buf, &statbuf) < 0) {
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info", dirname);
+		if (stat(buf, &statbuf) < 0)
+			return -1;
+	}
+
+	if (flags & O_CREAT) {
+		va_list ap;
+		mode_t mode;
+
+		va_start(ap, flags);
+		mode = va_arg(ap, mode_t);
+		va_end(ap);
+
+		return open(buf, flags, mode);
+	}
+	return open(buf, flags);
+}
+
 int open_info_file(struct opts *opts, struct uftrace_data *handle)
 {
 	FILE *fp;
-	char buf[PATH_MAX];
+	char info_txt[PATH_MAX];
+	char info_bin[PATH_MAX];
+	bool is_info_txt = true;
 	int saved_errno = 0;
 	struct stat stbuf;
 
 	memset(handle, 0, sizeof(*handle));
 
-	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info", opts->dirname);
+	snprintf(info_txt, sizeof(info_txt), "%s/info.txt", opts->dirname);
 
-	fp = fopen(buf, "rb");
+	fp = fopen(info_txt, "r");
 	if (fp != NULL)
 		goto ok;
 
+	snprintf(info_bin, sizeof(info_bin), "%s/info", opts->dirname);
+
+	fp = fopen(info_bin, "rb");
+	if (fp != NULL) {
+		is_info_txt = false;
+		goto ok;
+	}
+
 	saved_errno = errno;
 	/* provide a better error code for empty/invalid directories */
 	if (stat(opts->dirname, &stbuf) == 0)
@@ -433,28 +468,44 @@ int open_info_file(struct opts *opts, struct uftrace_data *handle)
 	/* if default dirname is failed */
 	if (!strcmp(opts->dirname, UFTRACE_DIR_NAME)) {
 		/* try again inside the current directory */
+		fp = fopen("./info.txt", "r");
+		if (fp != NULL) {
+			opts->dirname = "./";
+			goto ok;
+		}
+
 		fp = fopen("./info", "rb");
 		if (fp != NULL) {
 			opts->dirname = "./";
+			is_info_txt = false;
 			goto ok;
 		}
 
 		/* retry with old default dirname */
-		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info", UFTRACE_DIR_OLD_NAME);
-		fp = fopen(buf, "rb");
+		snprintf(info_txt, sizeof(info_txt), "%s/info.txt", UFTRACE_DIR_OLD_NAME);
+		fp = fopen(info_txt, "r");
+		if (fp != NULL) {
+			opts->dirname = UFTRACE_DIR_OLD_NAME;
+			goto ok;
+		}
+
+		snprintf(info_bin, sizeof(info_bin), "%s/info", UFTRACE_DIR_OLD_NAME);
+		fp = fopen(info_bin, "rb");
 		if (fp != NULL) {
 			opts->dirname = UFTRACE_DIR_OLD_NAME;
+			is_info_txt = false;
 			goto ok;
 		}
 
 		saved_errno = errno;
 
 		/* restore original file name for error reporting */
-		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/info", opts->dirname);
+		snprintf(info_txt, sizeof(info_txt), "%s/info.txt", opts->dirname);
+		snprintf(info_bin, sizeof(info_bin), "%s/info", opts->dirname);
 	}
 
 	/* data file loading is failed */
-	pr_dbg("cannot open %s file\n", buf);
+	pr_dbg("cannot open %s or %s file\n", info_txt, info_bin);
 
 	return -saved_errno;
 ok:
@@ -469,7 +520,7 @@ int open_info_file(struct opts *opts, struct uftrace_data *handle)
 	handle->last_perf_idx = -1;
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&handle->events);
 
-	if (fread(&handle->hdr, sizeof(handle->hdr), 1, fp) != 1)
+	if (read_header(&handle->hdr, fp, is_info_txt) < 0)
 		pr_err("cannot read header data");
 
 	if (memcmp(handle->hdr.magic, UFTRACE_MAGIC_STR, UFTRACE_MAGIC_LEN))