diff --git a/tools/lib/traceevent/kbuffer-parse.c b/tools/lib/traceevent/kbuffer-parse.c
index deb3569ab004ffc8904121695773ffd02d239140..3bcada3ae05abd15d7056847d1e9831cc928d13e 100644
--- a/tools/lib/traceevent/kbuffer-parse.c
+++ b/tools/lib/traceevent/kbuffer-parse.c
@@ -729,3 +729,14 @@ void kbuffer_set_old_format(struct kbuffer *kbuf)
 
 	kbuf->next_event = __old_next_event;
 }
+
+/**
+ * kbuffer_start_of_data - return offset of where data starts on subbuffer
+ * @kbuf:	The kbuffer
+ *
+ * Returns the location on the subbuffer where the data starts.
+ */
+int kbuffer_start_of_data(struct kbuffer *kbuf)
+{
+	return kbuf->start;
+}
diff --git a/tools/lib/traceevent/kbuffer.h b/tools/lib/traceevent/kbuffer.h
index c831f64b17a06f70381abf2a3c5b3f9baa54994d..03dce757553f14b123f7f678b42550722e5c9656 100644
--- a/tools/lib/traceevent/kbuffer.h
+++ b/tools/lib/traceevent/kbuffer.h
@@ -63,5 +63,6 @@ int kbuffer_missed_events(struct kbuffer *kbuf);
 int kbuffer_subbuffer_size(struct kbuffer *kbuf);
 
 void kbuffer_set_old_format(struct kbuffer *kbuf);
+int kbuffer_start_of_data(struct kbuffer *kbuf);
 
 #endif /* _K_BUFFER_H */