diff --git a/tools/perf/util/build-id.c b/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
index 6b410c3d52dc..2aacc8b29f7e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
 #include <linux/zalloc.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <asm/bug.h>
 
 static bool no_buildid_cache;
@@ -912,3 +913,8 @@ void build_id__init(struct build_id *bid, const u8 *data, size_t size)
 	memcpy(bid->data, data, size);
 	bid->size = size;
 }
+
+bool build_id__is_defined(const struct build_id *bid)
+{
+	return bid && bid->size ? !!memchr_inv(bid->data, 0, bid->size) : false;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/build-id.h b/tools/perf/util/build-id.h
index f293f99d5dba..d53415feaf69 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/build-id.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/build-id.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ struct feat_fd;
 
 void build_id__init(struct build_id *bid, const u8 *data, size_t size);
 int build_id__sprintf(const struct build_id *build_id, char *bf);
+bool build_id__is_defined(const struct build_id *bid);
 int sysfs__sprintf_build_id(const char *root_dir, char *sbuild_id);
 int filename__sprintf_build_id(const char *pathname, char *sbuild_id);
 char *build_id_cache__kallsyms_path(const char *sbuild_id, char *bf,