diff --git a/tools/perf/util/data.c b/tools/perf/util/data.c
index 07ef56a4123c8caaadab24a6685fc9e706ed2be6..f80a23d031d649ac1386450e1f3d1401a309b8d4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/data.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/data.c
@@ -144,10 +144,16 @@ void perf_data__close(struct perf_data *data)
 	close(data->file.fd);
 }
 
+ssize_t perf_data_file__write(struct perf_data_file *file,
+			      void *buf, size_t size)
+{
+	return writen(file->fd, buf, size);
+}
+
 ssize_t perf_data__write(struct perf_data *data,
 			      void *buf, size_t size)
 {
-	return writen(data->file.fd, buf, size);
+	return perf_data_file__write(&data->file, buf, size);
 }
 
 int perf_data__switch(struct perf_data *data,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/data.h b/tools/perf/util/data.h
index 1797bed3aa4b302e1af1a0a4d2c17c196b313a59..000c43bbb7acc4c06bc5c7c1daafd040a27734d0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/data.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/data.h
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ int perf_data__open(struct perf_data *data);
 void perf_data__close(struct perf_data *data);
 ssize_t perf_data__write(struct perf_data *data,
 			      void *buf, size_t size);
+ssize_t perf_data_file__write(struct perf_data_file *file,
+			      void *buf, size_t size);
 /*
  * If at_exit is set, only rename current perf.data to
  * perf.data.<postfix>, continue write on original data.