diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
index 1af6a267c21bfd3a437e3bed1f2122f96c4dced7..8c72b0ff7fcb1e5e37e3dc98e9977602f49b6754 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <linux/types.h>
 #include <linux/perf_event.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 struct list_head;
 struct perf_evsel;
@@ -196,4 +197,23 @@ int is_valid_tracepoint(const char *event_string);
 int valid_event_mount(const char *eventfs);
 char *parse_events_formats_error_string(char *additional_terms);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBELF_SUPPORT
+/*
+ * If the probe point starts with '%',
+ * or starts with "sdt_" and has a ':' but no '=',
+ * then it should be a SDT/cached probe point.
+ */
+static inline bool is_sdt_event(char *str)
+{
+	return (str[0] == '%' ||
+		(!strncmp(str, "sdt_", 4) &&
+		 !!strchr(str, ':') && !strchr(str, '=')));
+}
+#else
+static inline bool is_sdt_event(char *str __maybe_unused)
+{
+	return false;
+}
+#endif /* HAVE_LIBELF_SUPPORT */
+
 #endif /* __PERF_PARSE_EVENTS_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
index c9bdc9ded0c34cfff5419110c5a0ccce6154663d..b19d17801beb96b3223093c37623074acac58123 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
@@ -1341,14 +1341,7 @@ static int parse_perf_probe_point(char *arg, struct perf_probe_event *pev)
 	if (!arg)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	/*
-	 * If the probe point starts with '%',
-	 * or starts with "sdt_" and has a ':' but no '=',
-	 * then it should be a SDT/cached probe point.
-	 */
-	if (arg[0] == '%' ||
-	    (!strncmp(arg, "sdt_", 4) &&
-	     !!strchr(arg, ':') && !strchr(arg, '='))) {
+	if (is_sdt_event(arg)) {
 		pev->sdt = true;
 		if (arg[0] == '%')
 			arg++;