diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c
index d47a0cdc71c92a10040e34832886ba8157147349..ddca990bcc008610c35e7a1116a7f1ef1c3cf53b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ int cmd_buildid_cache(int argc, const char **argv,
 	setup_pager();
 
 	if (add_name_list_str) {
-		list = strlist__new(true, add_name_list_str);
+		list = strlist__new(add_name_list_str, NULL);
 		if (list) {
 			strlist__for_each(pos, list)
 				if (build_id_cache__add_file(pos->s)) {
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ int cmd_buildid_cache(int argc, const char **argv,
 	}
 
 	if (remove_name_list_str) {
-		list = strlist__new(true, remove_name_list_str);
+		list = strlist__new(remove_name_list_str, NULL);
 		if (list) {
 			strlist__for_each(pos, list)
 				if (build_id_cache__remove_file(pos->s)) {
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ int cmd_buildid_cache(int argc, const char **argv,
 	}
 
 	if (purge_name_list_str) {
-		list = strlist__new(true, purge_name_list_str);
+		list = strlist__new(purge_name_list_str, NULL);
 		if (list) {
 			strlist__for_each(pos, list)
 				if (build_id_cache__purge_path(pos->s)) {
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ int cmd_buildid_cache(int argc, const char **argv,
 		ret = build_id_cache__fprintf_missing(session, stdout);
 
 	if (update_name_list_str) {
-		list = strlist__new(true, update_name_list_str);
+		list = strlist__new(update_name_list_str, NULL);
 		if (list) {
 			strlist__for_each(pos, list)
 				if (build_id_cache__update_file(pos->s)) {
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index 0ebf55bf20b356e46b92fb6478a4bac38fad2329..3a3173c186c021b52cc9cfdf5c52781735f98daa 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -2931,7 +2931,7 @@ int cmd_trace(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 		trace.not_ev_qualifier = *s == '!';
 		if (trace.not_ev_qualifier)
 			++s;
-		trace.ev_qualifier = strlist__new(true, s);
+		trace.ev_qualifier = strlist__new(s, NULL);
 		if (trace.ev_qualifier == NULL) {
 			fputs("Not enough memory to parse event qualifier",
 			      trace.output);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/build-id.c b/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
index 1f6fc2323ef97d5e9fdea6f70a9028db1d14a37e..f98c2ffafba7aafec60a05d124e6a277b1441bbe 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ int build_id_cache__list_build_ids(const char *pathname,
 	struct dirent *d;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	list = strlist__new(true, NULL);
+	list = strlist__new(NULL, NULL);
 	dir_name = build_id_cache__dirname_from_path(pathname, false, false);
 	if (!list || !dir_name) {
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/machine.c b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
index 7ff682770fdb16e71b368af16efad0edd9443d87..d0bf1e590479689e6f612ed8ceb1f9b1229064e6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/machine.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ struct machine *machines__findnew(struct machines *machines, pid_t pid)
 			static struct strlist *seen;
 
 			if (!seen)
-				seen = strlist__new(true, NULL);
+				seen = strlist__new(NULL, NULL);
 
 			if (!strlist__has_entry(seen, path)) {
 				pr_err("Can't access file %s\n", path);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
index 381f23a443c7e71a78c008cb2e56a88326830d98..7abaac4ec86639d3b573168a5baa817f64acd8ac 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
@@ -2066,7 +2066,7 @@ static struct strlist *get_probe_trace_command_rawlist(int fd)
 	char *p;
 	struct strlist *sl;
 
-	sl = strlist__new(true, NULL);
+	sl = strlist__new(NULL, NULL);
 
 	fp = fdopen(dup(fd), "r");
 	while (!feof(fp)) {
@@ -2362,7 +2362,7 @@ static struct strlist *get_probe_trace_event_names(int fd, bool include_group)
 	rawlist = get_probe_trace_command_rawlist(fd);
 	if (!rawlist)
 		return NULL;
-	sl = strlist__new(true, NULL);
+	sl = strlist__new(NULL, NULL);
 	strlist__for_each(ent, rawlist) {
 		ret = parse_probe_trace_command(ent->s, &tev);
 		if (ret < 0)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/probe-finder.c b/tools/perf/util/probe-finder.c
index 2da65a7108932857bd585681eb0fac195f0c850b..7b80f8cb62b95d6aade0f5a88a73ce31f6a6304c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/probe-finder.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/probe-finder.c
@@ -1355,7 +1355,7 @@ static int add_available_vars(Dwarf_Die *sc_die, struct probe_finder *pf)
 		 vl->point.offset);
 
 	/* Find local variables */
-	vl->vars = strlist__new(true, NULL);
+	vl->vars = strlist__new(NULL, NULL);
 	if (vl->vars == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	af->child = true;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/strlist.c b/tools/perf/util/strlist.c
index 68ae673f9fb64bcae32dd0f59e4384d8211fb86d..dd403850dfab7d97e4a4106e352e435a54dc839c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/strlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/strlist.c
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ int strlist__parse_list(struct strlist *slist, const char *s)
 	return *s ? strlist__parse_list_entry(slist, s) : 0;
 }
 
-struct strlist *strlist__new(bool dupstr, const char *list)
+struct strlist *strlist__new(const char *list, const struct strlist_config *config)
 {
 	struct strlist *slist = malloc(sizeof(*slist));
 
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ struct strlist *strlist__new(bool dupstr, const char *list)
 		slist->rblist.node_new    = strlist__node_new;
 		slist->rblist.node_delete = strlist__node_delete;
 
-		slist->dupstr	 = dupstr;
+		slist->dupstr	 = config ? !config->dont_dupstr : true;
 		if (list && strlist__parse_list(slist, list) != 0)
 			goto out_error;
 	}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/strlist.h b/tools/perf/util/strlist.h
index 5c7f87069d9cd7bfa5412c186068840e76822b2e..a182785d9428b4efc485d8c9a6e5d5afaddc673f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/strlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/strlist.h
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ struct strlist {
 	bool	       dupstr;
 };
 
-struct strlist *strlist__new(bool dupstr, const char *slist);
+struct strlist_config {
+	bool dont_dupstr;
+};
+
+struct strlist *strlist__new(const char *slist, const struct strlist_config *config);
 void strlist__delete(struct strlist *slist);
 
 void strlist__remove(struct strlist *slist, struct str_node *sn);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 48b588c6951a9476246d6c71a9ee7b8535a8be37..db39388188bfd3f438df71b5e933904d7d33118c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -1906,7 +1906,7 @@ int setup_list(struct strlist **list, const char *list_str,
 	if (list_str == NULL)
 		return 0;
 
-	*list = strlist__new(true, list_str);
+	*list = strlist__new(list_str, NULL);
 	if (!*list) {
 		pr_err("problems parsing %s list\n", list_name);
 		return -1;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/thread_map.c b/tools/perf/util/thread_map.c
index da7646d767feba14c4f1ad3ba60f3758d5f89413..d526dea80128d023745405979c84a1377c84f92a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/thread_map.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/thread_map.c
@@ -196,7 +196,8 @@ static struct thread_map *thread_map__new_by_pid_str(const char *pid_str)
 	pid_t pid, prev_pid = INT_MAX;
 	char *end_ptr;
 	struct str_node *pos;
-	struct strlist *slist = strlist__new(false, pid_str);
+	struct strlist_config slist_config = { .dont_dupstr = true, };
+	struct strlist *slist = strlist__new(pid_str, &slist_config);
 
 	if (!slist)
 		return NULL;
@@ -266,13 +267,14 @@ static struct thread_map *thread_map__new_by_tid_str(const char *tid_str)
 	pid_t tid, prev_tid = INT_MAX;
 	char *end_ptr;
 	struct str_node *pos;
+	struct strlist_config slist_config = { .dont_dupstr = true, };
 	struct strlist *slist;
 
 	/* perf-stat expects threads to be generated even if tid not given */
 	if (!tid_str)
 		return thread_map__new_dummy();
 
-	slist = strlist__new(false, tid_str);
+	slist = strlist__new(tid_str, &slist_config);
 	if (!slist)
 		return NULL;