diff --git a/scripts/perf/nvmf/README.md b/scripts/perf/nvmf/README.md
index 9f7ab3aea..9f99f3e93 100644
--- a/scripts/perf/nvmf/README.md
+++ b/scripts/perf/nvmf/README.md
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ To run the scripts in your environment please follow steps below.
   to /usr/src/local directory in order to configure NIC ports IRQ affinity.
   If custom directory is to be used, then it must be set using irq_scripts_dir
   option in Target and Initiator configuration sections.
+- `sysstat` package must be installed for SAR CPU utilization measurements.
 
 ### Optional
 
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ Optional:
   "core_mask": "[1-10]",
   "null_block_devices": 8,
   "nvmet_bin": "/path/to/nvmetcli",
-  "sar_settings": [true, 30, 1, 60],
+  "sar_settings": true,
   "pcm_settings": [/tmp/pcm, 30, 1, 60],
   "enable_bandwidth": [true, 60],
   "enable_dpdk_memory": [true, 30]
@@ -111,10 +112,10 @@ Optional, common:
 
 - null_block_devices - int, number of null block devices to create.
   Detected NVMe devices are not used if option is present. Default: 0.
-- sar_settings - [bool, int(x), int(y), int(z)];
-  Enable SAR CPU utilization measurement on Target side.
-  Wait for "x" seconds before starting measurements, then do "z" samples
-  with "y" seconds intervals between them. Default: disabled.
+- sar_settings - bool
+  Enable SAR CPU utilization measurement on Target side. SAR thread will
+  wait until fio finishes it's "ramp_time" and then start measurement for
+  fio "run_time" duration. Default: enabled.
 - pcm_settings - [path, int(x), int(y), int(z)];
   Enable [PCM](https://github.com/opcm/pcm.git) measurements on Target side.
   Measurements include CPU, memory and power consumption. "path" points to a
diff --git a/scripts/perf/nvmf/run_nvmf.py b/scripts/perf/nvmf/run_nvmf.py
index bb0262d15..417092357 100755
--- a/scripts/perf/nvmf/run_nvmf.py
+++ b/scripts/perf/nvmf/run_nvmf.py
@@ -384,10 +384,7 @@ class Target(Server):
         self.pm_delay = 0
         self.pm_interval = 0
         self.pm_count = 1
-        self.enable_sar = False
-        self.sar_delay = 0
-        self.sar_interval = 0
-        self.sar_count = 0
+        self.enable_sar = True
         self.enable_pcm = False
         self.pcm_dir = ""
         self.pcm_delay = 0
@@ -416,8 +413,8 @@ class Target(Server):
             self.enable_pm, self.pm_delay, self.pm_interval, self.pm_count = target_config["pm_settings"]
             # Normalize pm_count - <= 0 means to loop indefinitely so let's avoid that to not block forever
             self.pm_count = self.pm_count if self.pm_count > 0 else 1
-        if "sar_settings" in target_config:
-            self.enable_sar, self.sar_delay, self.sar_interval, self.sar_count = target_config["sar_settings"]
+        if "enable_sar" in target_config:
+            self.enable_sar = target_config["sar_settings"]
         if "pcm_settings" in target_config:
             self.enable_pcm = True
             self.pcm_dir, self.pcm_delay, self.pcm_interval, self.pcm_count = target_config["pcm_settings"]
@@ -493,17 +490,17 @@ class Target(Server):
                     ip_bdev_map.append((ip, c))
         return ip_bdev_map
 
-    def measure_sar(self, results_dir, sar_file_prefix):
+    def measure_sar(self, results_dir, sar_file_prefix, ramp_time, run_time):
         cpu_number = os.cpu_count()
         sar_idle_sum = 0
         sar_output_file = os.path.join(results_dir, sar_file_prefix + ".txt")
         sar_cpu_util_file = os.path.join(results_dir, ".".join([sar_file_prefix + "cpu_util", "txt"]))
 
-        self.log.info("Waiting %d seconds for ramp-up to finish before measuring SAR stats" % self.sar_delay)
-        time.sleep(self.sar_delay)
+        self.log.info("Waiting %d seconds for ramp-up to finish before measuring SAR stats" % ramp_time)
+        time.sleep(ramp_time)
         self.log.info("Starting SAR measurements")
 
-        out = self.exec_cmd(["sar", "-P", "ALL", "%s" % self.sar_interval, "%s" % self.sar_count])
+        out = self.exec_cmd(["sar", "-P", "ALL", "%s" % 1, "%s" % run_time])
         with open(os.path.join(results_dir, sar_output_file), "w") as fh:
             for line in out.split("\n"):
                 if "Average" in line:
@@ -1562,7 +1559,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
                 threads.append(t)
             if target_obj.enable_sar:
                 sar_file_prefix = "%s_%s_%s_sar" % (block_size, rw, io_depth)
-                t = threading.Thread(target=target_obj.measure_sar, args=(args.results, sar_file_prefix))
+                t = threading.Thread(target=target_obj.measure_sar, args=(args.results, sar_file_prefix, fio_ramp_time, fio_run_time))
                 threads.append(t)
 
             if target_obj.enable_pcm:
@@ -1579,7 +1576,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
             if target_obj.enable_bandwidth:
                 bandwidth_file_name = "_".join(["bandwidth", str(block_size), str(rw), str(io_depth)])
                 bandwidth_file_name = ".".join([bandwidth_file_name, "csv"])
-                t = threading.Thread(target=target_obj.measure_network_bandwidth, args=(args.results, bandwidth_file_name,))
+                t = threading.Thread(target=target_obj.measure_network_bandwidth, args=(args.results, bandwidth_file_name))
                 threads.append(t)
 
             if target_obj.enable_dpdk_memory: