diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile b/tools/perf/Makefile
index 0a40c29b2387..9f4488d6f8e6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@ LIB_OBJS += util/alias.o
 LIB_OBJS += util/config.o
 LIB_OBJS += util/ctype.o
 LIB_OBJS += util/environment.o
+LIB_OBJS += util/event.o
 LIB_OBJS += util/exec_cmd.o
 LIB_OBJS += util/help.o
 LIB_OBJS += util/levenshtein.o
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 9e1638cc19c8..4a73d89ce5d1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -109,6 +109,12 @@ static void write_output(void *buf, size_t size)
 	}
 }
 
+static int process_synthesized_event(event_t *event)
+{
+	write_output(event, event->header.size);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static void mmap_read(struct mmap_data *md)
 {
 	unsigned int head = mmap_read_head(md);
@@ -191,172 +197,6 @@ static void sig_atexit(void)
 	kill(getpid(), signr);
 }
 
-static pid_t pid_synthesize_comm_event(pid_t pid, int full)
-{
-	struct comm_event comm_ev;
-	char filename[PATH_MAX];
-	char bf[BUFSIZ];
-	FILE *fp;
-	size_t size = 0;
-	DIR *tasks;
-	struct dirent dirent, *next;
-	pid_t tgid = 0;
-
-	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "/proc/%d/status", pid);
-
-	fp = fopen(filename, "r");
-	if (fp == NULL) {
-out_race:	
-		/*
-		 * We raced with a task exiting - just return:
-		 */
-		if (verbose)
-			fprintf(stderr, "couldn't open %s\n", filename);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	memset(&comm_ev, 0, sizeof(comm_ev));
-	while (!comm_ev.comm[0] || !comm_ev.pid) {
-		if (fgets(bf, sizeof(bf), fp) == NULL)
-			goto out_failure;
-
-		if (memcmp(bf, "Name:", 5) == 0) {
-			char *name = bf + 5;
-			while (*name && isspace(*name))
-				++name;
-			size = strlen(name) - 1;
-			memcpy(comm_ev.comm, name, size++);
-		} else if (memcmp(bf, "Tgid:", 5) == 0) {
-			char *tgids = bf + 5;
-			while (*tgids && isspace(*tgids))
-				++tgids;
-			tgid = comm_ev.pid = atoi(tgids);
-		}
-	}
-
-	comm_ev.header.type = PERF_RECORD_COMM;
-	size = ALIGN(size, sizeof(u64));
-	comm_ev.header.size = sizeof(comm_ev) - (sizeof(comm_ev.comm) - size);
-
-	if (!full) {
-		comm_ev.tid = pid;
-
-		write_output(&comm_ev, comm_ev.header.size);
-		goto out_fclose;
-	}
-
-	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "/proc/%d/task", pid);
-
-	tasks = opendir(filename);
-	if (tasks == NULL)
-		goto out_race;
-
-	while (!readdir_r(tasks, &dirent, &next) && next) {
-		char *end;
-		pid = strtol(dirent.d_name, &end, 10);
-		if (*end)
-			continue;
-
-		comm_ev.tid = pid;
-
-		write_output(&comm_ev, comm_ev.header.size);
-	}
-	closedir(tasks);
-
-out_fclose:
-	fclose(fp);
-	return tgid;
-
-out_failure:
-	fprintf(stderr, "couldn't get COMM and pgid, malformed %s\n",
-		filename);
-	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-}
-
-static void pid_synthesize_mmap_samples(pid_t pid, pid_t tgid)
-{
-	char filename[PATH_MAX];
-	FILE *fp;
-
-	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "/proc/%d/maps", pid);
-
-	fp = fopen(filename, "r");
-	if (fp == NULL) {
-		/*
-		 * We raced with a task exiting - just return:
-		 */
-		if (verbose)
-			fprintf(stderr, "couldn't open %s\n", filename);
-		return;
-	}
-	while (1) {
-		char bf[BUFSIZ], *pbf = bf;
-		struct mmap_event mmap_ev = {
-			.header = { .type = PERF_RECORD_MMAP },
-		};
-		int n;
-		size_t size;
-		if (fgets(bf, sizeof(bf), fp) == NULL)
-			break;
-
-		/* 00400000-0040c000 r-xp 00000000 fd:01 41038  /bin/cat */
-		n = hex2u64(pbf, &mmap_ev.start);
-		if (n < 0)
-			continue;
-		pbf += n + 1;
-		n = hex2u64(pbf, &mmap_ev.len);
-		if (n < 0)
-			continue;
-		pbf += n + 3;
-		if (*pbf == 'x') { /* vm_exec */
-			char *execname = strchr(bf, '/');
-
-			/* Catch VDSO */
-			if (execname == NULL)
-				execname = strstr(bf, "[vdso]");
-
-			if (execname == NULL)
-				continue;
-
-			size = strlen(execname);
-			execname[size - 1] = '\0'; /* Remove \n */
-			memcpy(mmap_ev.filename, execname, size);
-			size = ALIGN(size, sizeof(u64));
-			mmap_ev.len -= mmap_ev.start;
-			mmap_ev.header.size = (sizeof(mmap_ev) -
-					       (sizeof(mmap_ev.filename) - size));
-			mmap_ev.pid = tgid;
-			mmap_ev.tid = pid;
-
-			write_output(&mmap_ev, mmap_ev.header.size);
-		}
-	}
-
-	fclose(fp);
-}
-
-static void synthesize_all(void)
-{
-	DIR *proc;
-	struct dirent dirent, *next;
-
-	proc = opendir("/proc");
-
-	while (!readdir_r(proc, &dirent, &next) && next) {
-		char *end;
-		pid_t pid, tgid;
-
-		pid = strtol(dirent.d_name, &end, 10);
-		if (*end) /* only interested in proper numerical dirents */
-			continue;
-
-		tgid = pid_synthesize_comm_event(pid, 1);
-		pid_synthesize_mmap_samples(pid, tgid);
-	}
-
-	closedir(proc);
-}
-
 static int group_fd;
 
 static struct perf_header_attr *get_header_attr(struct perf_event_attr *a, int nr)
@@ -608,11 +448,10 @@ static int __cmd_record(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (file_new)
 		perf_header__write(header, output);
 
-	if (!system_wide) {
-		pid_t tgid = pid_synthesize_comm_event(pid, 0);
-		pid_synthesize_mmap_samples(pid, tgid);
-	} else
-		synthesize_all();
+	if (!system_wide)
+		event__synthesize_thread(pid, process_synthesized_event);
+	else
+		event__synthesize_threads(process_synthesized_event);
 
 	if (target_pid == -1 && argc) {
 		pid = fork();
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/event.c b/tools/perf/util/event.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1dae7e3b400d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/util/event.c
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+#include <linux/types.h>
+#include "event.h"
+#include "debug.h"
+#include "string.h"
+
+static pid_t event__synthesize_comm(pid_t pid, int full,
+				    int (*process)(event_t *event))
+{
+	event_t ev;
+	char filename[PATH_MAX];
+	char bf[BUFSIZ];
+	FILE *fp;
+	size_t size = 0;
+	DIR *tasks;
+	struct dirent dirent, *next;
+	pid_t tgid = 0;
+
+	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "/proc/%d/status", pid);
+
+	fp = fopen(filename, "r");
+	if (fp == NULL) {
+out_race:
+		/*
+		 * We raced with a task exiting - just return:
+		 */
+		pr_debug("couldn't open %s\n", filename);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	memset(&ev.comm, 0, sizeof(ev.comm));
+	while (!ev.comm.comm[0] || !ev.comm.pid) {
+		if (fgets(bf, sizeof(bf), fp) == NULL)
+			goto out_failure;
+
+		if (memcmp(bf, "Name:", 5) == 0) {
+			char *name = bf + 5;
+			while (*name && isspace(*name))
+				++name;
+			size = strlen(name) - 1;
+			memcpy(ev.comm.comm, name, size++);
+		} else if (memcmp(bf, "Tgid:", 5) == 0) {
+			char *tgids = bf + 5;
+			while (*tgids && isspace(*tgids))
+				++tgids;
+			tgid = ev.comm.pid = atoi(tgids);
+		}
+	}
+
+	ev.comm.header.type = PERF_RECORD_COMM;
+	size = ALIGN(size, sizeof(u64));
+	ev.comm.header.size = sizeof(ev.comm) - (sizeof(ev.comm.comm) - size);
+
+	if (!full) {
+		ev.comm.tid = pid;
+
+		process(&ev);
+		goto out_fclose;
+	}
+
+	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "/proc/%d/task", pid);
+
+	tasks = opendir(filename);
+	if (tasks == NULL)
+		goto out_race;
+
+	while (!readdir_r(tasks, &dirent, &next) && next) {
+		char *end;
+		pid = strtol(dirent.d_name, &end, 10);
+		if (*end)
+			continue;
+
+		ev.comm.tid = pid;
+
+		process(&ev);
+	}
+	closedir(tasks);
+
+out_fclose:
+	fclose(fp);
+	return tgid;
+
+out_failure:
+	pr_warning("couldn't get COMM and pgid, malformed %s\n", filename);
+	return -1;
+}
+
+static int event__synthesize_mmap_events(pid_t pid, pid_t tgid,
+					 int (*process)(event_t *event))
+{
+	char filename[PATH_MAX];
+	FILE *fp;
+
+	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "/proc/%d/maps", pid);
+
+	fp = fopen(filename, "r");
+	if (fp == NULL) {
+		/*
+		 * We raced with a task exiting - just return:
+		 */
+		pr_debug("couldn't open %s\n", filename);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	while (1) {
+		char bf[BUFSIZ], *pbf = bf;
+		event_t ev = {
+			.header = { .type = PERF_RECORD_MMAP },
+		};
+		int n;
+		size_t size;
+		if (fgets(bf, sizeof(bf), fp) == NULL)
+			break;
+
+		/* 00400000-0040c000 r-xp 00000000 fd:01 41038  /bin/cat */
+		n = hex2u64(pbf, &ev.mmap.start);
+		if (n < 0)
+			continue;
+		pbf += n + 1;
+		n = hex2u64(pbf, &ev.mmap.len);
+		if (n < 0)
+			continue;
+		pbf += n + 3;
+		if (*pbf == 'x') { /* vm_exec */
+			char *execname = strchr(bf, '/');
+
+			/* Catch VDSO */
+			if (execname == NULL)
+				execname = strstr(bf, "[vdso]");
+
+			if (execname == NULL)
+				continue;
+
+			size = strlen(execname);
+			execname[size - 1] = '\0'; /* Remove \n */
+			memcpy(ev.mmap.filename, execname, size);
+			size = ALIGN(size, sizeof(u64));
+			ev.mmap.len -= ev.mmap.start;
+			ev.mmap.header.size = (sizeof(ev.mmap) -
+					       (sizeof(ev.mmap.filename) - size));
+			ev.mmap.pid = tgid;
+			ev.mmap.tid = pid;
+
+			process(&ev);
+		}
+	}
+
+	fclose(fp);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int event__synthesize_thread(pid_t pid, int (*process)(event_t *event))
+{
+	pid_t tgid = event__synthesize_comm(pid, 1, process);
+	if (tgid == -1)
+		return -1;
+	return event__synthesize_mmap_events(pid, tgid, process);
+}
+
+void event__synthesize_threads(int (*process)(event_t *event))
+{
+	DIR *proc;
+	struct dirent dirent, *next;
+
+	proc = opendir("/proc");
+
+	while (!readdir_r(proc, &dirent, &next) && next) {
+		char *end;
+		pid_t pid = strtol(dirent.d_name, &end, 10);
+
+		if (*end) /* only interested in proper numerical dirents */
+			continue;
+
+		event__synthesize_thread(pid, process);
+	}
+
+	closedir(proc);
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/event.h b/tools/perf/util/event.h
index d972b4b0d38c..2ae1177be40b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/event.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/event.h
@@ -111,4 +111,7 @@ struct map *map__clone(struct map *self);
 int map__overlap(struct map *l, struct map *r);
 size_t map__fprintf(struct map *self, FILE *fp);
 
+int event__synthesize_thread(pid_t pid, int (*process)(event_t *event));
+void event__synthesize_threads(int (*process)(event_t *event));
+
 #endif /* __PERF_RECORD_H */