diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c b/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c
index c4bb6457b19e..cb234765ce3d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 
 struct perf_annotate {
 	struct perf_tool tool;
-	char const *input_name;
 	bool	   force, use_tui, use_stdio;
 	bool	   full_paths;
 	bool	   print_line;
@@ -175,7 +174,7 @@ static int __cmd_annotate(struct perf_annotate *ann)
 	struct perf_evsel *pos;
 	u64 total_nr_samples;
 
-	session = perf_session__new(ann->input_name, O_RDONLY,
+	session = perf_session__new(input_name, O_RDONLY,
 				    ann->force, false, &ann->tool);
 	if (session == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -260,7 +259,7 @@ int cmd_annotate(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 		},
 	};
 	const struct option options[] = {
-	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &annotate.input_name, "file",
+	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &input_name, "file",
 		    "input file name"),
 	OPT_STRING('d', "dsos", &symbol_conf.dso_list_str, "dso[,dso...]",
 		   "only consider symbols in these dsos"),
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
index a0e94fffa03e..a82d99fec83e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ static int filename__fprintf_build_id(const char *name, FILE *fp)
 	return fprintf(fp, "%s\n", sbuild_id);
 }
 
-static int perf_session__list_build_ids(const char *input_name,
-					bool force, bool with_hits)
+static int perf_session__list_build_ids(bool force, bool with_hits)
 {
 	struct perf_session *session;
 
@@ -81,7 +80,6 @@ int cmd_buildid_list(int argc, const char **argv,
 	bool show_kernel = false;
 	bool with_hits = false;
 	bool force = false;
-	const char *input_name = NULL;
 	const struct option options[] = {
 	OPT_BOOLEAN('H', "with-hits", &with_hits, "Show only DSOs with hits"),
 	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &input_name, "file", "input file name"),
@@ -101,5 +99,5 @@ int cmd_buildid_list(int argc, const char **argv,
 	if (show_kernel)
 		return sysfs__fprintf_build_id(stdout);
 
-	return perf_session__list_build_ids(input_name, force, with_hits);
+	return perf_session__list_build_ids(force, with_hits);
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-evlist.c b/tools/perf/builtin-evlist.c
index 997afb82691b..c20f1dcfb7e2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-evlist.c
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ static int __if_print(bool *first, const char *field, u64 value)
 
 #define if_print(field) __if_print(&first, #field, pos->attr.field)
 
-static int __cmd_evlist(const char *input_name, struct perf_attr_details *details)
+static int __cmd_evlist(const char *file_name, struct perf_attr_details *details)
 {
 	struct perf_session *session;
 	struct perf_evsel *pos;
 
-	session = perf_session__new(input_name, O_RDONLY, 0, false, NULL);
+	session = perf_session__new(file_name, O_RDONLY, 0, false, NULL);
 	if (session == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ static int __cmd_evlist(const char *input_name, struct perf_attr_details *detail
 int cmd_evlist(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 {
 	struct perf_attr_details details = { .verbose = false, };
-	const char *input_name = NULL;
 	const struct option options[] = {
 	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &input_name, "file", "Input file name"),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN('F', "freq", &details.freq, "Show the sample frequency"),
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
index 14bf82f63659..0b4b796167be 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ static void sort_result(void)
 	__sort_result(&root_caller_stat, &root_caller_sorted, &caller_sort);
 }
 
-static int __cmd_kmem(const char *input_name)
+static int __cmd_kmem(void)
 {
 	int err = -EINVAL;
 	struct perf_session *session;
@@ -743,7 +743,6 @@ static int __cmd_record(int argc, const char **argv)
 int cmd_kmem(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 {
 	const char * const default_sort_order = "frag,hit,bytes";
-	const char *input_name = NULL;
 	const struct option kmem_options[] = {
 	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &input_name, "file", "input file name"),
 	OPT_CALLBACK_NOOPT(0, "caller", NULL, NULL,
@@ -779,7 +778,7 @@ int cmd_kmem(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 		if (list_empty(&alloc_sort))
 			setup_sorting(&alloc_sort, default_sort_order);
 
-		return __cmd_kmem(input_name);
+		return __cmd_kmem();
 	} else
 		usage_with_options(kmem_usage, kmem_options);
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c b/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
index 6f5f328157aa..425830069749 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
@@ -335,8 +335,6 @@ alloc_failed:
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static const char *input_name;
-
 struct trace_lock_handler {
 	int (*acquire_event)(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 			     struct perf_sample *sample);
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
index 90d1162bb8b8..f07eae73e692 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
 struct perf_report {
 	struct perf_tool	tool;
 	struct perf_session	*session;
-	char const		*input_name;
 	bool			force, use_tui, use_gtk, use_stdio;
 	bool			hide_unresolved;
 	bool			dont_use_callchains;
@@ -571,7 +570,7 @@ int cmd_report(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 		.pretty_printing_style	 = "normal",
 	};
 	const struct option options[] = {
-	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &report.input_name, "file",
+	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &input_name, "file",
 		    "input file name"),
 	OPT_INCR('v', "verbose", &verbose,
 		    "be more verbose (show symbol address, etc)"),
@@ -657,13 +656,13 @@ int cmd_report(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 	if (report.inverted_callchain)
 		callchain_param.order = ORDER_CALLER;
 
-	if (!report.input_name || !strlen(report.input_name)) {
+	if (!input_name || !strlen(input_name)) {
 		if (!fstat(STDIN_FILENO, &st) && S_ISFIFO(st.st_mode))
-			report.input_name = "-";
+			input_name = "-";
 		else
-			report.input_name = "perf.data";
+			input_name = "perf.data";
 	}
-	session = perf_session__new(report.input_name, O_RDONLY,
+	session = perf_session__new(input_name, O_RDONLY,
 				    report.force, false, &report.tool);
 	if (session == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -694,7 +693,7 @@ int cmd_report(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 
 	}
 
-	if (strcmp(report.input_name, "-") != 0)
+	if (strcmp(input_name, "-") != 0)
 		setup_browser(true);
 	else {
 		use_browser = 0;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
index 30e53360d3c2..cc28b85dabd5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ struct trace_sched_handler {
 
 struct perf_sched {
 	struct perf_tool tool;
-	const char	 *input_name;
 	const char	 *sort_order;
 	unsigned long	 nr_tasks;
 	struct task_desc *pid_to_task[MAX_PID];
@@ -1460,7 +1459,7 @@ static int perf_sched__read_events(struct perf_sched *sched, bool destroy,
 	};
 	struct perf_session *session;
 
-	session = perf_session__new(sched->input_name, O_RDONLY, 0, false, &sched->tool);
+	session = perf_session__new(input_name, O_RDONLY, 0, false, &sched->tool);
 	if (session == NULL) {
 		pr_debug("No Memory for session\n");
 		return -1;
@@ -1708,7 +1707,7 @@ int cmd_sched(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 	OPT_END()
 	};
 	const struct option sched_options[] = {
-	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &sched.input_name, "file",
+	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &input_name, "file",
 		    "input file name"),
 	OPT_INCR('v', "verbose", &verbose,
 		    "be more verbose (show symbol address, etc)"),
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
index 04ceb0779d39..7c6e4b2f401a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
@@ -1175,7 +1175,6 @@ static int have_cmd(int argc, const char **argv)
 int cmd_script(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 {
 	bool show_full_info = false;
-	const char *input_name = NULL;
 	char *rec_script_path = NULL;
 	char *rep_script_path = NULL;
 	struct perf_session *session;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
index f251b613b2f3..ab4cf232b852 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ static void write_svg_file(const char *filename)
 	svg_close();
 }
 
-static int __cmd_timechart(const char *input_name, const char *output_name)
+static int __cmd_timechart(const char *output_name)
 {
 	struct perf_tool perf_timechart = {
 		.comm		 = process_comm_event,
@@ -1061,7 +1061,6 @@ parse_process(const struct option *opt __maybe_unused, const char *arg,
 int cmd_timechart(int argc, const char **argv,
 		  const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 {
-	const char *input_name;
 	const char *output_name = "output.svg";
 	const struct option options[] = {
 	OPT_STRING('i', "input", &input_name, "file", "input file name"),
@@ -1092,5 +1091,5 @@ int cmd_timechart(int argc, const char **argv,
 
 	setup_pager();
 
-	return __cmd_timechart(input_name, output_name);
+	return __cmd_timechart(output_name);
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/perf.c b/tools/perf/perf.c
index d480d8a412b8..e9683738d89f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/perf.c
+++ b/tools/perf/perf.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const char perf_more_info_string[] =
 
 int use_browser = -1;
 static int use_pager = -1;
+const char *input_name;
 
 struct cmd_struct {
 	const char *cmd;
diff --git a/tools/perf/perf.h b/tools/perf/perf.h
index c50985eaec41..469fbf2daea4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/perf.h
+++ b/tools/perf/perf.h
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ struct branch_stack {
 	struct branch_entry	entries[0];
 };
 
+extern const char *input_name;
 extern bool perf_host, perf_guest;
 extern const char perf_version_string[];