diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
index fc21ad79dd83e25a7520f00e6d3611587650ee79..a85936f09f3e46d9fbbafce96ab650ddba2c314f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
@@ -342,22 +342,10 @@ static int process_sample_event(event_t *event, struct perf_session *session)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int sample_type_check(struct perf_session *session)
-{
-	if (!(session->sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_RAW)) {
-		fprintf(stderr,
-			"No trace sample to read. Did you call perf record "
-			"without -R?");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static struct perf_event_ops event_ops = {
 	.process_sample_event	= process_sample_event,
 	.process_comm_event	= event__process_comm,
-	.sample_type_check	= sample_type_check,
+	.sample_type_check	= perf_session__has_traces,
 };
 
 static double fragmentation(unsigned long n_req, unsigned long n_alloc)
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
index 80209df6cfe8df3267050c8bb64f5974748a8ce7..d65098c4299086acf043e8347042351c37ed0320 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
@@ -1653,23 +1653,11 @@ static int process_lost_event(event_t *event __used,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int sample_type_check(struct perf_session *session __used)
-{
-	if (!(session->sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_RAW)) {
-		fprintf(stderr,
-			"No trace sample to read. Did you call perf record "
-			"without -R?");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static struct perf_event_ops event_ops = {
 	.process_sample_event	= process_sample_event,
 	.process_comm_event	= event__process_comm,
 	.process_lost_event	= process_lost_event,
-	.sample_type_check	= sample_type_check,
+	.sample_type_check	= perf_session__has_traces,
 };
 
 static int read_events(void)
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
index a589a43112d67f7b764ae02365a1b53e2e8119a7..b42f337c17d978a4fb9e783a70fb20346a37105f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
@@ -1029,23 +1029,12 @@ static void process_samples(struct perf_session *session)
 	}
 }
 
-static int sample_type_check(struct perf_session *session)
-{
-	if (!(session->sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_RAW)) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "No trace samples found in the file.\n"
-				"Have you used 'perf timechart record' to record it?\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static struct perf_event_ops event_ops = {
 	.process_comm_event	= process_comm_event,
 	.process_fork_event	= process_fork_event,
 	.process_exit_event	= process_exit_event,
 	.process_sample_event	= queue_sample_event,
-	.sample_type_check	= sample_type_check,
+	.sample_type_check	= perf_session__has_traces,
 };
 
 static int __cmd_timechart(void)
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index 574a215e800b502abeb05fa9e874421db8e3f79a..b0ba2ac37e2c1446ecf5da8374f7207853f37f1c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -103,22 +103,10 @@ static int process_sample_event(event_t *event, struct perf_session *session)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int sample_type_check(struct perf_session *session)
-{
-	if (!(session->sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_RAW)) {
-		fprintf(stderr,
-			"No trace sample to read. Did you call perf record "
-			"without -R?");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static struct perf_event_ops event_ops = {
 	.process_sample_event	= process_sample_event,
 	.process_comm_event	= event__process_comm,
-	.sample_type_check	= sample_type_check,
+	.sample_type_check	= perf_session__has_traces,
 };
 
 static int __cmd_trace(struct perf_session *session)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/session.c b/tools/perf/util/session.c
index 736d4fda9272a552bcc29a798b82f3933228845a..60eab8b3ff34ea256b527eb59cd437c952a4aa69 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/session.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/session.c
@@ -393,3 +393,14 @@ int perf_session__process_events(struct perf_session *self,
 out_err:
 	return err;
 }
+
+int perf_session__has_traces(struct perf_session *self)
+{
+	if (!(self->sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_RAW)) {
+		pr_err("No trace sample to read. Did you call perf record "
+		       "without -R?");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/session.h b/tools/perf/util/session.h
index 32eaa1bada062a108ddaebed928489b5bf3d5da6..a6951d2f700f91bb0ede7529904601aad7810408 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/session.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/session.h
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ struct symbol **perf_session__resolve_callchain(struct perf_session *self,
 						struct ip_callchain *chain,
 						struct symbol **parent);
 
+int perf_session__has_traces(struct perf_session *self);
+
 int perf_header__read_build_ids(int input, u64 offset, u64 file_size);
 
 #endif /* __PERF_SESSION_H */