diff --git a/tools/perf/util/map.c b/tools/perf/util/map.c
index b5a5e9c024379652fccd722d7da2739169e0ab5d..ce37e95bc51347cf2e3d0f650a64ca4b405c8d2e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/map.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/map.c
@@ -224,6 +224,20 @@ struct map *map__new2(u64 start, struct dso *dso, enum map_type type)
 	return map;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Use this and __map__is_kmodule() for map instances that are in
+ * machine->kmaps, and thus have map->groups->machine all properly set, to
+ * disambiguate between the kernel and modules.
+ *
+ * When the need arises, introduce map__is_{kernel,kmodule)() that
+ * checks (map->groups != NULL && map->groups->machine != NULL &&
+ * map->dso->kernel) before calling __map__is_{kernel,kmodule}())
+ */
+bool __map__is_kernel(const struct map *map)
+{
+	return map->groups->machine->vmlinux_maps[map->type] == map;
+}
+
 static void map__exit(struct map *map)
 {
 	BUG_ON(!RB_EMPTY_NODE(&map->rb_node));
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/map.h b/tools/perf/util/map.h
index d73e687b224e4e0d3b427f1244695ea4e19c4fcb..57829e89b78b2f22e1977bb7c2ca2c315bcfa5f0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/map.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/map.h
@@ -256,4 +256,11 @@ int map_groups__fixup_overlappings(struct map_groups *mg, struct map *map,
 struct map *map_groups__find_by_name(struct map_groups *mg,
 				     enum map_type type, const char *name);
 
+bool __map__is_kernel(const struct map *map);
+
+static inline bool __map__is_kmodule(const struct map *map)
+{
+	return !__map__is_kernel(map);
+}
+
 #endif /* __PERF_MAP_H */