diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
index 25576b477c83..3ee27dccfde9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
@@ -110,6 +110,12 @@ comma-sperated list with no space: 0,1. Ranges of CPUs are specified with -: 0-2
 In per-thread mode with inheritance mode on (default), samples are captured only when
 the thread executes on the designated CPUs. Default is to monitor all CPUs.
 
+-N::
+--no-buildid-cache::
+Do not update the builid cache. This saves some overhead in situations
+where the information in the perf.data file (which includes buildids)
+is sufficient.
+
 SEE ALSO
 --------
 linkperf:perf-stat[1], linkperf:perf-list[1]
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 5efc3fc68a36..86b1c3b6264e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ static bool			call_graph			=  false;
 static bool			inherit_stat			=  false;
 static bool			no_samples			=  false;
 static bool			sample_address			=  false;
+static bool			no_buildid			=  false;
 
 static long			samples				=      0;
 static u64			bytes_written			=      0;
@@ -825,6 +826,8 @@ static const struct option options[] = {
 		    "Sample addresses"),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN('n', "no-samples", &no_samples,
 		    "don't sample"),
+	OPT_BOOLEAN('N', "no-buildid-cache", &no_buildid,
+		    "do not update the buildid cache"),
 	OPT_END()
 };
 
@@ -849,6 +852,8 @@ int cmd_record(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __used)
 	}
 
 	symbol__init();
+	if (no_buildid)
+		disable_buildid_cache();
 
 	if (!nr_counters) {
 		nr_counters	= 1;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.c b/tools/perf/util/header.c
index 4a6a4b3a4ab7..d7e67b167ea3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.c
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 #include "symbol.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 
+static bool no_buildid_cache = false;
+
 /*
  * Create new perf.data header attribute:
  */
@@ -470,7 +472,8 @@ static int perf_header__adds_write(struct perf_header *self, int fd)
 		}
 		buildid_sec->size = lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_CUR) -
 					  buildid_sec->offset;
-		perf_session__cache_build_ids(session);
+		if (!no_buildid_cache)
+			perf_session__cache_build_ids(session);
 	}
 
 	lseek(fd, sec_start, SEEK_SET);
@@ -1189,3 +1192,8 @@ int event__process_build_id(event_t *self,
 				 session);
 	return 0;
 }
+
+void disable_buildid_cache(void)
+{
+	no_buildid_cache = true;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.h b/tools/perf/util/util.h
index de61441b6dd7..f380fed74359 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.h
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ extern void set_die_routine(void (*routine)(const char *err, va_list params) NOR
 
 extern int prefixcmp(const char *str, const char *prefix);
 extern void set_buildid_dir(void);
+extern void disable_buildid_cache(void);
 
 static inline const char *skip_prefix(const char *str, const char *prefix)
 {