diff --git a/tools/perf/util/data.c b/tools/perf/util/data.c
index 8993253c5564..df173f0bf654 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/data.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/data.c
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ static int open_dir(struct perf_data *data)
 	 * So far we open only the header, so we can read the data version and
 	 * layout.
 	 */
-	if (asprintf(&data->file.path, "%s/header", data->path) < 0)
+	if (asprintf(&data->file.path, "%s/data", data->path) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (perf_data__is_write(data) &&
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.c b/tools/perf/util/util.c
index ae56c766eda1..3096654377c2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.c
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ static int rm_rf_depth_pat(const char *path, int depth, const char **pat)
 int rm_rf_perf_data(const char *path)
 {
 	const char *pat[] = {
-		"header",
+		"data",
 		"data.*",
 		NULL,
 	};