diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
index c5a027381c55..9640c6ae1837 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
@@ -428,11 +428,14 @@ export PERL_PATH
 LIBPERF_UI_IN := $(OUTPUT)perf-ui-in.o
 LIBPERF_UI := $(OUTPUT)libperf-ui.a
 
+LIBPMU_EVENTS_IN := $(OUTPUT)pmu-events/pmu-events-in.o
+LIBPMU_EVENTS := $(OUTPUT)libpmu-events.a
+
 PERFLIBS = $(LIBAPI) $(LIBPERF) $(LIBSUBCMD) $(LIBSYMBOL)
 ifdef LIBBPF_STATIC
   PERFLIBS += $(LIBBPF)
 endif
-PERFLIBS += $(LIBPERF_UI)
+PERFLIBS += $(LIBPERF_UI) $(LIBPMU_EVENTS)
 
 # We choose to avoid "if .. else if .. else .. endif endif"
 # because maintaining the nesting to match is a pain.  If
@@ -721,8 +724,6 @@ strip: $(PROGRAMS) $(OUTPUT)perf
 	$(STRIP) $(STRIP_OPTS) $(PROGRAMS) $(OUTPUT)perf
 
 PERF_IN := $(OUTPUT)perf-in.o
-
-PMU_EVENTS_IN := $(OUTPUT)pmu-events/pmu-events-in.o
 export NO_JEVENTS
 
 build := -f $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.build dir=. obj
@@ -730,18 +731,21 @@ build := -f $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.build dir=. obj
 $(PERF_IN): prepare FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=perf
 
-$(PMU_EVENTS_IN): FORCE prepare
+$(LIBPMU_EVENTS_IN): FORCE prepare
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.build dir=pmu-events obj=pmu-events
 
+$(LIBPMU_EVENTS): $(LIBPMU_EVENTS_IN)
+	$(QUIET_AR)$(RM) $@ && $(AR) rcs $@ $<
+
 $(LIBPERF_UI_IN): FORCE prepare
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=perf-ui
 
 $(LIBPERF_UI): $(LIBPERF_UI_IN)
 	$(QUIET_AR)$(RM) $@ && $(AR) rcs $@ $<
 
-$(OUTPUT)perf: $(PERFLIBS) $(PERF_IN) $(PMU_EVENTS_IN)
+$(OUTPUT)perf: $(PERFLIBS) $(PERF_IN)
 	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) \
-		$(PERF_IN) $(PMU_EVENTS_IN) $(LIBS) -o $@
+		$(PERF_IN) $(LIBS) -o $@
 
 $(GTK_IN): FORCE prepare
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=gtk