diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.c b/tools/perf/util/util.c
index 8dc8cf39f4edc0f988c63a48daa47395a1c5ef87..c25e57b3acb2994d7d53b8089f1897030b71efb7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.c
@@ -394,3 +394,20 @@ unsigned long parse_tag_value(const char *str, struct parse_tag *tags)
 
 	return (unsigned long) -1;
 }
+
+int filename__read_int(const char *filename, int *value)
+{
+	char line[64];
+	int fd = open(filename, O_RDONLY), err = -1;
+
+	if (fd < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (read(fd, line, sizeof(line)) > 0) {
+		*value = atoi(line);
+		err = 0;
+	}
+
+	close(fd);
+	return err;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.h b/tools/perf/util/util.h
index 42dfba70fbfcc09238a719da003798dad461618a..c8f362daba8755f5b054d70c90f52211f6d8ccc8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.h
@@ -305,4 +305,6 @@ struct dso;
 
 char *get_srcline(struct dso *dso, unsigned long addr);
 void free_srcline(char *srcline);
+
+int filename__read_int(const char *filename, int *value);
 #endif /* GIT_COMPAT_UTIL_H */