diff --git a/tools/perf/config/Makefile b/tools/perf/config/Makefile
index 44affb5477c5..c0c83440de97 100644
--- a/tools/perf/config/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/config/Makefile
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ FEATURE_TESTS =				\
 	strlcpy				\
 	libbfd				\
 	on-exit				\
+	backtrace			\
 	libnuma
 
 $(foreach test,$(FEATURE_TESTS),$(call feature_check,$(test),$(test)))
@@ -448,7 +449,7 @@ ifndef NO_ON_EXIT
 endif
 
 ifndef NO_BACKTRACE
-  ifeq ($(call try-cc,$(SOURCE_BACKTRACE),,-DHAVE_BACKTRACE_SUPPORT),y)
+  ifeq ($(feature-backtrace), 1)
     CFLAGS += -DHAVE_BACKTRACE_SUPPORT
   endif
 endif
diff --git a/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/Makefile b/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/Makefile
index 20f1b8c0f865..0e4dbc2d5c8a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/Makefile
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ FILES=					\
 	test-strlcpy			\
 	test-libbfd			\
 	test-on-exit			\
+	test-backtrace			\
 	test-libnuma
 
 CC := $(CC) -MD
@@ -124,6 +125,9 @@ test-libbfd:
 test-on-exit:
 	$(BUILD)
 
+test-backtrace:
+	$(BUILD)
+
 -include *.d */*.d
 
 ###############################
diff --git a/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/test-backtrace.c b/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/test-backtrace.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5b79468bea2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/test-backtrace.c
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <execinfo.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+int main(void)
+{
+	backtrace(NULL, 0);
+	backtrace_symbols(NULL, 0);
+
+	return 0;
+}