diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/probe.sh b/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/probe.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..61da3b2c9bca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/probe.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@kernel.org>, 2017
+
+skip_if_no_perf_probe() {
+	perf probe |& grep -q 'is not a perf-command' && return 2
+	return 0
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/probe_vfs_getname.sh b/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/probe_vfs_getname.sh
index 3eaddf190a30..46c1bb707600 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/probe_vfs_getname.sh
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/probe_vfs_getname.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@kernel.org>, 2017
 
-perf probe -l | grep -q probe:vfs_getname
+perf probe -l |& grep -q probe:vfs_getname
 had_vfs_getname=$?
 
 cleanup_probe_vfs_getname() {
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/shell/probe_vfs_getname.sh b/tools/perf/tests/shell/probe_vfs_getname.sh
index c8380137beef..9b7635184dc2 100755
--- a/tools/perf/tests/shell/probe_vfs_getname.sh
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/shell/probe_vfs_getname.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 #
 # Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@kernel.org>, 2017
 
+. $(dirname $0)/lib/probe.sh
+
+skip_if_no_perf_probe || exit 2
+
 . $(dirname $0)/lib/probe_vfs_getname.sh
 
 add_probe_vfs_getname || skip_if_no_debuginfo
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/shell/record+script_probe_vfs_getname.sh b/tools/perf/tests/shell/record+script_probe_vfs_getname.sh
index 2725c5db699a..ba29535b8580 100755
--- a/tools/perf/tests/shell/record+script_probe_vfs_getname.sh
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/shell/record+script_probe_vfs_getname.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 
 # Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@kernel.org>, 2017
 
+. $(dirname $0)/lib/probe.sh
+
+skip_if_no_perf_probe || exit 2
+
 . $(dirname $0)/lib/probe_vfs_getname.sh
 
 perfdata=$(mktemp /tmp/__perf_test.perf.data.XXXXX)
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace+probe_libc_inet_pton.sh b/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace+probe_libc_inet_pton.sh
index 1b9a276e2ace..99dafad61954 100755
--- a/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace+probe_libc_inet_pton.sh
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace+probe_libc_inet_pton.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 # Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@kernel.org>, 2017
 
+. $(dirname $0)/lib/probe.sh
+
 trace_libc_inet_pton_backtrace() {
 	idx=0
 	expected[0]="PING.*bytes"
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ trace_libc_inet_pton_backtrace() {
 	done
 }
 
+skip_if_no_perf_probe && \
 perf probe -q /lib64/libc-*.so inet_pton && \
 trace_libc_inet_pton_backtrace
 err=$?
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace+probe_vfs_getname.sh b/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace+probe_vfs_getname.sh
index d0fba0c5e354..2e68c5f120da 100755
--- a/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace+probe_vfs_getname.sh
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace+probe_vfs_getname.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 
 # Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@kernel.org>, 2017
 
+. $(dirname $0)/lib/probe.sh
+
+skip_if_no_perf_probe || exit 2
+
 . $(dirname $0)/lib/probe_vfs_getname.sh
 
 file=$(mktemp /tmp/temporary_file.XXXXX)