diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-ftrace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-ftrace.c
index 1ebf71ecc1a8..4b3fcee5725a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-ftrace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-ftrace.c
@@ -169,6 +169,17 @@ out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static int write_tracing_file_int(const char *name, int value)
+{
+	char buf[16];
+
+	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%d", value);
+	if (write_tracing_file(name, buf) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int reset_tracing_cpu(void);
 static void reset_tracing_filters(void);
 
@@ -299,8 +310,6 @@ static void reset_tracing_filters(void)
 
 static int set_tracing_depth(struct perf_ftrace *ftrace)
 {
-	char buf[16];
-
 	if (ftrace->graph_depth == 0)
 		return 0;
 
@@ -309,9 +318,7 @@ static int set_tracing_depth(struct perf_ftrace *ftrace)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%d", ftrace->graph_depth);
-
-	if (write_tracing_file("max_graph_depth", buf) < 0)
+	if (write_tracing_file_int("max_graph_depth", ftrace->graph_depth) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	return 0;