diff --git a/tools/perf/arch/powerpc/util/Build b/tools/perf/arch/powerpc/util/Build
index 0af6e9b3f728..7b8b0d1a1b62 100644
--- a/tools/perf/arch/powerpc/util/Build
+++ b/tools/perf/arch/powerpc/util/Build
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 libperf-y += header.o
+libperf-y += sym-handling.o
 
 libperf-$(CONFIG_DWARF) += dwarf-regs.o
 libperf-$(CONFIG_DWARF) += skip-callchain-idx.o
diff --git a/tools/perf/arch/powerpc/util/sym-handling.c b/tools/perf/arch/powerpc/util/sym-handling.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c9de0012195f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/arch/powerpc/util/sym-handling.c
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/*
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License, version 2, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Naveen N. Rao, IBM Corporation
+ */
+
+#include "debug.h"
+#include "symbol.h"
+
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBELF_SUPPORT
+bool elf__needs_adjust_symbols(GElf_Ehdr ehdr)
+{
+	return ehdr.e_type == ET_EXEC ||
+	       ehdr.e_type == ET_REL ||
+	       ehdr.e_type == ET_DYN;
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol-elf.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol-elf.c
index a7ab6063e038..54347ba17c3e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol-elf.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol-elf.c
@@ -630,6 +630,11 @@ void symsrc__destroy(struct symsrc *ss)
 	close(ss->fd);
 }
 
+bool __weak elf__needs_adjust_symbols(GElf_Ehdr ehdr)
+{
+	return ehdr.e_type == ET_EXEC || ehdr.e_type == ET_REL;
+}
+
 int symsrc__init(struct symsrc *ss, struct dso *dso, const char *name,
 		 enum dso_binary_type type)
 {
@@ -711,8 +716,7 @@ int symsrc__init(struct symsrc *ss, struct dso *dso, const char *name,
 						     ".gnu.prelink_undo",
 						     NULL) != NULL);
 	} else {
-		ss->adjust_symbols = ehdr.e_type == ET_EXEC ||
-				     ehdr.e_type == ET_REL;
+		ss->adjust_symbols = elf__needs_adjust_symbols(ehdr);
 	}
 
 	ss->name   = strdup(name);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
index 09561500164a..8cb0af48ec93 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
@@ -303,4 +303,8 @@ int setup_list(struct strlist **list, const char *list_str,
 int setup_intlist(struct intlist **list, const char *list_str,
 		  const char *list_name);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBELF_SUPPORT
+bool elf__needs_adjust_symbols(GElf_Ehdr ehdr);
+#endif
+
 #endif /* __PERF_SYMBOL */