diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c
index 65b4835309c7..7b8450cd33c2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@
 static int build_id_cache__kcore_buildid(const char *proc_dir, char *sbuildid)
 {
 	char root_dir[PATH_MAX];
-	char notes[PATH_MAX];
-	u8 build_id[BUILD_ID_SIZE];
 	char *p;
 
 	strlcpy(root_dir, proc_dir, sizeof(root_dir));
@@ -35,15 +33,7 @@ static int build_id_cache__kcore_buildid(const char *proc_dir, char *sbuildid)
 	if (!p)
 		return -1;
 	*p = '\0';
-
-	scnprintf(notes, sizeof(notes), "%s/sys/kernel/notes", root_dir);
-
-	if (sysfs__read_build_id(notes, build_id, sizeof(build_id)))
-		return -1;
-
-	build_id__sprintf(build_id, sizeof(build_id), sbuildid);
-
-	return 0;
+	return sysfs__sprintf_build_id(root_dir, sbuildid);
 }
 
 static int build_id_cache__kcore_dir(char *dir, size_t sz)
@@ -138,7 +128,7 @@ static int build_id_cache__add_kcore(const char *filename, bool force)
 		return -1;
 	*p = '\0';
 
-	if (build_id_cache__kcore_buildid(from_dir, sbuildid))
+	if (build_id_cache__kcore_buildid(from_dir, sbuildid) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	scnprintf(to_dir, sizeof(to_dir), "%s/[kernel.kcore]/%s",
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
index b5ca988ebfbe..918b4de29de4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
@@ -19,29 +19,25 @@
 
 static int sysfs__fprintf_build_id(FILE *fp)
 {
-	u8 kallsyms_build_id[BUILD_ID_SIZE];
 	char sbuild_id[SBUILD_ID_SIZE];
+	int ret;
 
-	if (sysfs__read_build_id("/sys/kernel/notes", kallsyms_build_id,
-				 sizeof(kallsyms_build_id)) != 0)
-		return -1;
+	ret = sysfs__sprintf_build_id("/", sbuild_id);
+	if (ret != sizeof(sbuild_id))
+		return ret < 0 ? ret : -EINVAL;
 
-	build_id__sprintf(kallsyms_build_id, sizeof(kallsyms_build_id),
-			  sbuild_id);
-	fprintf(fp, "%s\n", sbuild_id);
-	return 0;
+	return fprintf(fp, "%s\n", sbuild_id);
 }
 
 static int filename__fprintf_build_id(const char *name, FILE *fp)
 {
-	u8 build_id[BUILD_ID_SIZE];
 	char sbuild_id[SBUILD_ID_SIZE];
+	int ret;
 
-	if (filename__read_build_id(name, build_id,
-				    sizeof(build_id)) != sizeof(build_id))
-		return 0;
+	ret = filename__sprintf_build_id(name, sbuild_id);
+	if (ret != sizeof(sbuild_id))
+		return ret < 0 ? ret : -EINVAL;
 
-	build_id__sprintf(build_id, sizeof(build_id), sbuild_id);
 	return fprintf(fp, "%s\n", sbuild_id);
 }
 
@@ -63,7 +59,7 @@ static int perf_session__list_build_ids(bool force, bool with_hits)
 	/*
 	 * See if this is an ELF file first:
 	 */
-	if (filename__fprintf_build_id(input_name, stdout))
+	if (filename__fprintf_build_id(input_name, stdout) > 0)
 		goto out;
 
 	session = perf_session__new(&file, false, &build_id__mark_dso_hit_ops);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/build-id.c b/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
index 4a2c2f0ead41..d909459fb54c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
@@ -93,6 +93,38 @@ int build_id__sprintf(const u8 *build_id, int len, char *bf)
 	return raw - build_id;
 }
 
+int sysfs__sprintf_build_id(const char *root_dir, char *sbuild_id)
+{
+	char notes[PATH_MAX];
+	u8 build_id[BUILD_ID_SIZE];
+	int ret;
+
+	if (!root_dir)
+		root_dir = "";
+
+	scnprintf(notes, sizeof(notes), "%s/sys/kernel/notes", root_dir);
+
+	ret = sysfs__read_build_id(notes, build_id, sizeof(build_id));
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+
+	return build_id__sprintf(build_id, sizeof(build_id), sbuild_id);
+}
+
+int filename__sprintf_build_id(const char *pathname, char *sbuild_id)
+{
+	u8 build_id[BUILD_ID_SIZE];
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = filename__read_build_id(pathname, build_id, sizeof(build_id));
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+	else if (ret != sizeof(build_id))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	return build_id__sprintf(build_id, sizeof(build_id), sbuild_id);
+}
+
 /* asnprintf consolidates asprintf and snprintf */
 static int asnprintf(char **strp, size_t size, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/build-id.h b/tools/perf/util/build-id.h
index ce2f493f057a..27a14a8a945b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/build-id.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/build-id.h
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ extern struct perf_tool build_id__mark_dso_hit_ops;
 struct dso;
 
 int build_id__sprintf(const u8 *build_id, int len, char *bf);
+int sysfs__sprintf_build_id(const char *root_dir, char *sbuild_id);
+int filename__sprintf_build_id(const char *pathname, char *sbuild_id);
+
 char *dso__build_id_filename(const struct dso *dso, char *bf, size_t size);
 
 int build_id__mark_dso_hit(struct perf_tool *tool, union perf_event *event,