diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/dwarf-unwind.c b/tools/perf/tests/dwarf-unwind.c
index 2dab2d262060..afdca7f2959f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/dwarf-unwind.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/dwarf-unwind.c
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ NO_TAIL_CALL_ATTRIBUTE noinline int test_dwarf_unwind__thread(struct thread *thr
 	}
 
 	err = unwind__get_entries(unwind_entry, &cnt, thread,
-				  &sample, MAX_STACK);
+				  &sample, MAX_STACK, false);
 	if (err)
 		pr_debug("unwind failed\n");
 	else if (cnt != MAX_STACK) {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/arm64-frame-pointer-unwind-support.c b/tools/perf/util/arm64-frame-pointer-unwind-support.c
index 2242a885fbd7..4940be4a0569 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/arm64-frame-pointer-unwind-support.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/arm64-frame-pointer-unwind-support.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ u64 get_leaf_frame_caller_aarch64(struct perf_sample *sample, struct thread *thr
 		sample->user_regs.cache_regs[PERF_REG_ARM64_SP] = 0;
 	}
 
-	ret = unwind__get_entries(add_entry, &entries, thread, sample, 2);
+	ret = unwind__get_entries(add_entry, &entries, thread, sample, 2, true);
 	sample->user_regs = old_regs;
 
 	if (ret || entries.length != 2)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/machine.c b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
index b80048546451..95391236f5f6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/machine.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
@@ -2987,7 +2987,7 @@ static int thread__resolve_callchain_unwind(struct thread *thread,
 		return 0;
 
 	return unwind__get_entries(unwind_entry, cursor,
-				   thread, sample, max_stack);
+				   thread, sample, max_stack, false);
 }
 
 int thread__resolve_callchain(struct thread *thread,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libdw.c b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libdw.c
index a74b517f7497..94aa40f6e348 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libdw.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libdw.c
@@ -200,7 +200,8 @@ frame_callback(Dwfl_Frame *state, void *arg)
 	bool isactivation;
 
 	if (!dwfl_frame_pc(state, &pc, NULL)) {
-		pr_err("%s", dwfl_errmsg(-1));
+		if (!ui->best_effort)
+			pr_err("%s", dwfl_errmsg(-1));
 		return DWARF_CB_ABORT;
 	}
 
@@ -208,7 +209,8 @@ frame_callback(Dwfl_Frame *state, void *arg)
 	report_module(pc, ui);
 
 	if (!dwfl_frame_pc(state, &pc, &isactivation)) {
-		pr_err("%s", dwfl_errmsg(-1));
+		if (!ui->best_effort)
+			pr_err("%s", dwfl_errmsg(-1));
 		return DWARF_CB_ABORT;
 	}
 
@@ -222,7 +224,8 @@ frame_callback(Dwfl_Frame *state, void *arg)
 int unwind__get_entries(unwind_entry_cb_t cb, void *arg,
 			struct thread *thread,
 			struct perf_sample *data,
-			int max_stack)
+			int max_stack,
+			bool best_effort)
 {
 	struct unwind_info *ui, ui_buf = {
 		.sample		= data,
@@ -231,6 +234,7 @@ int unwind__get_entries(unwind_entry_cb_t cb, void *arg,
 		.cb		= cb,
 		.arg		= arg,
 		.max_stack	= max_stack,
+		.best_effort    = best_effort
 	};
 	Dwarf_Word ip;
 	int err = -EINVAL, i;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libdw.h b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libdw.h
index 0cbd2650e280..8c88bc4f2304 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libdw.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libdw.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ struct unwind_info {
 	void			*arg;
 	int			max_stack;
 	int			idx;
+	bool			best_effort;
 	struct unwind_entry	entries[];
 };
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c
index 71a353349181..41e29fc7648a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ struct unwind_info {
 	struct perf_sample	*sample;
 	struct machine		*machine;
 	struct thread		*thread;
+	bool			 best_effort;
 };
 
 #define dw_read(ptr, type, end) ({	\
@@ -553,7 +554,8 @@ static int access_reg(unw_addr_space_t __maybe_unused as,
 
 	ret = perf_reg_value(&val, &ui->sample->user_regs, id);
 	if (ret) {
-		pr_err("unwind: can't read reg %d\n", regnum);
+		if (!ui->best_effort)
+			pr_err("unwind: can't read reg %d\n", regnum);
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -666,7 +668,7 @@ static int get_entries(struct unwind_info *ui, unwind_entry_cb_t cb,
 			return -1;
 
 		ret = unw_init_remote(&c, addr_space, ui);
-		if (ret)
+		if (ret && !ui->best_effort)
 			display_error(ret);
 
 		while (!ret && (unw_step(&c) > 0) && i < max_stack) {
@@ -704,12 +706,14 @@ static int get_entries(struct unwind_info *ui, unwind_entry_cb_t cb,
 
 static int _unwind__get_entries(unwind_entry_cb_t cb, void *arg,
 			struct thread *thread,
-			struct perf_sample *data, int max_stack)
+			struct perf_sample *data, int max_stack,
+			bool best_effort)
 {
 	struct unwind_info ui = {
 		.sample       = data,
 		.thread       = thread,
 		.machine      = thread->maps->machine,
+		.best_effort  = best_effort
 	};
 
 	if (!data->user_regs.regs)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind.c b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind.c
index e89a5479b361..509c287ee762 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind.c
@@ -80,9 +80,11 @@ void unwind__finish_access(struct maps *maps)
 
 int unwind__get_entries(unwind_entry_cb_t cb, void *arg,
 			 struct thread *thread,
-			 struct perf_sample *data, int max_stack)
+			 struct perf_sample *data, int max_stack,
+			 bool best_effort)
 {
 	if (thread->maps->unwind_libunwind_ops)
-		return thread->maps->unwind_libunwind_ops->get_entries(cb, arg, thread, data, max_stack);
+		return thread->maps->unwind_libunwind_ops->get_entries(cb, arg, thread, data,
+								       max_stack, best_effort);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/unwind.h b/tools/perf/util/unwind.h
index ab8ad469c8de..b2a03fa5289b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/unwind.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/unwind.h
@@ -23,13 +23,19 @@ struct unwind_libunwind_ops {
 	void (*finish_access)(struct maps *maps);
 	int (*get_entries)(unwind_entry_cb_t cb, void *arg,
 			   struct thread *thread,
-			   struct perf_sample *data, int max_stack);
+			   struct perf_sample *data, int max_stack, bool best_effort);
 };
 
 #ifdef HAVE_DWARF_UNWIND_SUPPORT
+/*
+ * When best_effort is set, don't report errors and fail silently. This could
+ * be expanded in the future to be more permissive about things other than
+ * error messages.
+ */
 int unwind__get_entries(unwind_entry_cb_t cb, void *arg,
 			struct thread *thread,
-			struct perf_sample *data, int max_stack);
+			struct perf_sample *data, int max_stack,
+			bool best_effort);
 /* libunwind specific */
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBUNWIND_SUPPORT
 #ifndef LIBUNWIND__ARCH_REG_ID
@@ -65,7 +71,8 @@ unwind__get_entries(unwind_entry_cb_t cb __maybe_unused,
 		    void *arg __maybe_unused,
 		    struct thread *thread __maybe_unused,
 		    struct perf_sample *data __maybe_unused,
-		    int max_stack __maybe_unused)
+		    int max_stack __maybe_unused,
+		    bool best_effort __maybe_unused)
 {
 	return 0;
 }