diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index 58ede3257c619de17d2a27910a6ea854df3071df..719729ef9d7c0c667a62826158f076d4f6b3a33c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ perf_mmap__read(struct perf_mmap *md, bool check_messup, u64 start,
 	return event;
 }
 
-union perf_event *perf_evlist__mmap_read(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx)
+union perf_event *perf_evlist__mmap_read_forward(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx)
 {
 	struct perf_mmap *md = &evlist->mmap[idx];
 	u64 head;
@@ -832,6 +832,13 @@ perf_evlist__mmap_read_backward(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx)
 	return perf_mmap__read(md, false, start, end, &md->prev);
 }
 
+union perf_event *perf_evlist__mmap_read(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx)
+{
+	if (!evlist->backward)
+		return perf_evlist__mmap_read_forward(evlist, idx);
+	return perf_evlist__mmap_read_backward(evlist, idx);
+}
+
 void perf_evlist__mmap_read_catchup(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx)
 {
 	struct perf_mmap *md = &evlist->mmap[idx];
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index d740fb877ab6f22ac912c9fdc972fc39f1bedc6a..68cb1361c97c65c3745f892b47a9f5849a1b8b4d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ struct perf_sample_id *perf_evlist__id2sid(struct perf_evlist *evlist, u64 id);
 
 union perf_event *perf_evlist__mmap_read(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx);
 
+union perf_event *perf_evlist__mmap_read_forward(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
+						 int idx);
 union perf_event *perf_evlist__mmap_read_backward(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 						  int idx);
 void perf_evlist__mmap_read_catchup(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx);