diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/make b/tools/perf/tests/make
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c441a2875128
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/make
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+PERF := .
+MK   := Makefile
+
+# standard single make variable specified
+make_clean_all      := clean all
+make_python_perf_so := python/perf.so
+make_debug          := DEBUG=1
+make_no_libperl     := NO_LIBPERL=1
+make_no_libpython   := NO_LIBPYTHON=1
+make_no_scripts     := NO_LIBPYTHON=1 NO_LIBPERL=1
+make_no_newt        := NO_NEWT=1
+make_no_slang       := NO_SLANG=1
+make_no_gtk2        := NO_GTK2=1
+make_no_ui          := NO_NEWT=1 NO_SLANG=1 NO_GTK2=1
+make_no_demangle    := NO_DEMANGLE=1
+make_no_libelf      := NO_LIBELF=1
+make_no_libunwind   := NO_LIBUNWIND=1
+make_no_backtrace   := NO_BACKTRACE=1
+make_no_libnuma     := NO_LIBNUMA=1
+make_no_libaudit    := NO_LIBAUDIT=1
+make_no_libbionic   := NO_LIBBIONIC=1
+make_tags           := tags
+make_cscope         := cscope
+make_help           := help
+make_doc            := doc
+make_perf_o         := perf.o
+make_util_map_o     := util/map.o
+
+# all the NO_* variable combined
+make_minimal        := NO_LIBPERL=1 NO_LIBPYTHON=1 NO_NEWT=1 NO_GTK2=1
+make_minimal        += NO_DEMANGLE=1 NO_LIBELF=1 NO_LIBUNWIND=1 NO_BACKTRACE=1
+make_minimal        += NO_LIBNUMA=1 NO_LIBAUDIT=1 NO_LIBBIONIC=1
+
+# $(run) contains all available tests
+run := make_pure
+run += make_clean_all
+run += make_python_perf_so
+run += make_debug
+run += make_no_libperl
+run += make_no_libpython
+run += make_no_scripts
+run += make_no_newt
+run += make_no_slang
+run += make_no_gtk2
+run += make_no_ui
+run += make_no_demangle
+run += make_no_libelf
+run += make_no_libunwind
+run += make_no_backtrace
+run += make_no_libnuma
+run += make_no_libaudit
+run += make_no_libbionic
+run += make_tags
+run += make_cscope
+run += make_help
+run += make_doc
+run += make_perf_o
+run += make_util_map_o
+run += make_minimal
+
+# $(run_O) contains same portion of $(run) tests with '_O' attached
+# to distinguish O=... tests
+run_O := $(addsuffix _O,$(run))
+
+# disable some tests for O=...
+run_O := $(filter-out make_python_perf_so_O,$(run_O))
+
+# define test for each compile as 'test_NAME' variable
+# with the test itself as a value
+test_make_tags   = test -f tags
+test_make_cscope = test -f cscope.out
+
+test_make_tags_O   := $(test_make_tags)
+test_make_cscope_O := $(test_make_cscope)
+
+test_ok          := true
+test_make_help   := $(test_ok)
+test_make_doc    := $(test_ok)
+test_make_help_O := $(test_ok)
+test_make_doc_O  := $(test_ok)
+
+test_make_python_perf_so := test -f $(PERF)/python/perf.so
+
+test_make_perf_o     := test -f $(PERF)/perf.o
+test_make_util_map_o := test -f $(PERF)/util/map.o
+
+# Kbuild tests only
+#test_make_python_perf_so_O := test -f $$TMP/tools/perf/python/perf.so
+#test_make_perf_o_O         := test -f $$TMP/tools/perf/perf.o
+#test_make_util_map_o_O     := test -f $$TMP/tools/perf/util/map.o
+
+test_make_perf_o_O     := true
+test_make_util_map_o_O := true
+
+test_default = test -x $(PERF)/perf
+test = $(if $(test_$1),$(test_$1),$(test_default))
+
+test_default_O = test -x $$TMP/perf
+test_O = $(if $(test_$1),$(test_$1),$(test_default_O))
+
+all:
+
+ifdef DEBUG
+d := $(info run   $(run))
+d := $(info run_O $(run_O))
+endif
+
+MAKEFLAGS := --no-print-directory
+
+clean := @(cd $(PERF); make -s -f $(MK) clean >/dev/null)
+
+$(run):
+	$(call clean)
+	@cmd="cd $(PERF) && make -f $(MK) $($@)"; \
+	echo "- $@: $$cmd" && echo $$cmd > $@ && \
+	( eval $$cmd ) >> $@ 2>&1; \
+	echo "  test: $(call test,$@)"; \
+	$(call test,$@) && \
+	rm -f $@
+
+$(run_O):
+	$(call clean)
+	@TMP=$$(mktemp -d); \
+	cmd="cd $(PERF) && make -f $(MK) $($(patsubst %_O,%,$@)) O=$$TMP"; \
+	echo "- $@: $$cmd" && echo $$cmd > $@ && \
+	( eval $$cmd ) >> $@ 2>&1 && \
+	echo "  test: $(call test_O,$@)"; \
+	$(call test_O,$@) && \
+	rm -f $@ && \
+	rm -rf $$TMP
+
+all: $(run) $(run_O)
+	@echo OK
+
+out: $(run_O)
+	@echo OK
+
+.PHONY: all $(run) $(run_O) clean