diff --git a/samples/cpp/benchmark_app/main.cpp b/samples/cpp/benchmark_app/main.cpp
index 34ecee6ec41..6c2326adb35 100644
--- a/samples/cpp/benchmark_app/main.cpp
+++ b/samples/cpp/benchmark_app/main.cpp
@@ -402,6 +402,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
                 setThroughputStreams();
             } else if (device.find("GNA") != std::string::npos) {
                 set_infer_precision();
+            } else if (device.find("AUTO") != std::string::npos) {
+                device_nstreams.erase(device);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/samples/cpp/benchmark_app/utils.cpp b/samples/cpp/benchmark_app/utils.cpp
index 376b6cc2a66..b9384303859 100644
--- a/samples/cpp/benchmark_app/utils.cpp
+++ b/samples/cpp/benchmark_app/utils.cpp
@@ -109,12 +109,17 @@ std::vector<std::string> parse_devices(const std::string& device_string) {
     std::string comma_separated_devices = device_string;
     auto colon = comma_separated_devices.find(":");
     if (colon != std::string::npos) {
+        if (comma_separated_devices.substr(0, colon) == "AUTO") {
+            std::vector<std::string> result;
+            result.push_back("AUTO");
+            return result;
+        }
         auto bracket = comma_separated_devices.find("(");  // e.g. in BATCH:GPU(4)
         comma_separated_devices = comma_separated_devices.substr(colon + 1, bracket - colon - 1);
     }
-    if ((comma_separated_devices == "AUTO") || (comma_separated_devices == "MULTI") ||
-        (comma_separated_devices == "HETERO"))
+    if ((comma_separated_devices == "MULTI") || (comma_separated_devices == "HETERO"))
         return std::vector<std::string>();
+
     auto devices = split(comma_separated_devices, ',');
     return devices;
 }