diff --git a/tools/perf/Build b/tools/perf/Build
index 2c7aaf2ba11972d3f7459e5cfb1d774a5d12099d..2a41217e9d88633358a478cbe8b81f2484ee3b16 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Build
+++ b/tools/perf/Build
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ perf-y += builtin-kvm.o
 perf-y += builtin-inject.o
 perf-y += builtin-mem.o
 perf-y += builtin-data.o
+perf-y += builtin-version.o
 
 perf-$(CONFIG_AUDIT) += builtin-trace.o
 perf-$(CONFIG_LIBELF) += builtin-probe.o
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-version.c b/tools/perf/builtin-version.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9b10cda6b6dcca3ef7ffedb95aec802851401464
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-version.c
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include "util/util.h"
+#include "builtin.h"
+#include "perf.h"
+
+int cmd_version(int argc __maybe_unused, const char **argv __maybe_unused,
+		const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
+{
+	printf("perf version %s\n", perf_version_string);
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/help.c b/tools/perf/util/help.c
index fa1fc4acb8a4768ea2d967ae12757ceec63557c5..929c93f2c333826eaf9a76be1057b22a324ab1e3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/help.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/help.c
@@ -332,10 +332,3 @@ const char *help_unknown_cmd(const char *cmd)
 
 	exit(1);
 }
-
-int cmd_version(int argc __maybe_unused, const char **argv __maybe_unused,
-		const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
-{
-	printf("perf version %s\n", perf_version_string);
-	return 0;
-}