diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c b/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
index c4b888f18e9c..cbbfe48ab802 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
@@ -510,8 +510,8 @@ static const char *shell_test__description(char *description, size_t size,
 	return description ? strim(description + 1) : NULL;
 }
 
-#define for_each_shell_test(dir, base, ent)	\
-	while ((ent = readdir(dir)) != NULL)	\
+#define for_each_shell_test(entlist, nr, base, ent)	                \
+	for (int __i = 0; __i < nr && (ent = entlist[__i]); __i++)	\
 		if (!is_directory(base, ent) && ent->d_name[0] != '.')
 
 static const char *shell_tests__dir(char *path, size_t size)
@@ -538,8 +538,9 @@ static const char *shell_tests__dir(char *path, size_t size)
 
 static int shell_tests__max_desc_width(void)
 {
-	DIR *dir;
+	struct dirent **entlist;
 	struct dirent *ent;
+	int n_dirs;
 	char path_dir[PATH_MAX];
 	const char *path = shell_tests__dir(path_dir, sizeof(path_dir));
 	int width = 0;
@@ -547,11 +548,11 @@ static int shell_tests__max_desc_width(void)
 	if (path == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
-	dir = opendir(path);
-	if (!dir)
+	n_dirs = scandir(path, &entlist, NULL, alphasort);
+	if (n_dirs == -1)
 		return -1;
 
-	for_each_shell_test(dir, path, ent) {
+	for_each_shell_test(entlist, n_dirs, path, ent) {
 		char bf[256];
 		const char *desc = shell_test__description(bf, sizeof(bf), path, ent->d_name);
 
@@ -563,7 +564,8 @@ static int shell_tests__max_desc_width(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	closedir(dir);
+	free(entlist);
+
 	return width;
 }
 
@@ -589,8 +591,9 @@ static int shell_test__run(struct test *test, int subdir __maybe_unused)
 
 static int run_shell_tests(int argc, const char *argv[], int i, int width)
 {
-	DIR *dir;
+	struct dirent **entlist;
 	struct dirent *ent;
+	int n_dirs;
 	char path_dir[PATH_MAX];
 	struct shell_test st = {
 		.dir = shell_tests__dir(path_dir, sizeof(path_dir)),
@@ -599,14 +602,14 @@ static int run_shell_tests(int argc, const char *argv[], int i, int width)
 	if (st.dir == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
-	dir = opendir(st.dir);
-	if (!dir) {
+	n_dirs = scandir(st.dir, &entlist, NULL, alphasort);
+	if (n_dirs == -1) {
 		pr_err("failed to open shell test directory: %s\n",
 			st.dir);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	for_each_shell_test(dir, st.dir, ent) {
+	for_each_shell_test(entlist, n_dirs, st.dir, ent) {
 		int curr = i++;
 		char desc[256];
 		struct test test = {
@@ -623,7 +626,7 @@ static int run_shell_tests(int argc, const char *argv[], int i, int width)
 		test_and_print(&test, false, -1);
 	}
 
-	closedir(dir);
+	free(entlist);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -722,19 +725,20 @@ static int __cmd_test(int argc, const char *argv[], struct intlist *skiplist)
 
 static int perf_test__list_shell(int argc, const char **argv, int i)
 {
-	DIR *dir;
+	struct dirent **entlist;
 	struct dirent *ent;
+	int n_dirs;
 	char path_dir[PATH_MAX];
 	const char *path = shell_tests__dir(path_dir, sizeof(path_dir));
 
 	if (path == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
-	dir = opendir(path);
-	if (!dir)
+	n_dirs = scandir(path, &entlist, NULL, alphasort);
+	if (n_dirs == -1)
 		return -1;
 
-	for_each_shell_test(dir, path, ent) {
+	for_each_shell_test(entlist, n_dirs, path, ent) {
 		int curr = i++;
 		char bf[256];
 		struct test t = {
@@ -747,7 +751,7 @@ static int perf_test__list_shell(int argc, const char **argv, int i)
 		pr_info("%2d: %s\n", i, t.desc);
 	}
 
-	closedir(dir);
+	free(entlist);
 	return 0;
 }