diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-ftrace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-ftrace.c
index 414444d0e919..c3e643666c72 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-ftrace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-ftrace.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "evlist.h"
 #include "target.h"
 #include "thread_map.h"
+#include "util/config.h"
 
 
 #define DEFAULT_TRACER  "function_graph"
@@ -198,6 +199,26 @@ out:
 	return done ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
+static int perf_ftrace_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
+{
+	struct perf_ftrace *ftrace = cb;
+
+	if (prefixcmp(var, "ftrace."))
+		return 0;
+
+	if (strcmp(var, "ftrace.tracer"))
+		return -1;
+
+	if (!strcmp(value, "function_graph") ||
+	    !strcmp(value, "function")) {
+		ftrace->tracer = value;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	pr_err("Please select \"function_graph\" (default) or \"function\"\n");
+	return -1;
+}
+
 int cmd_ftrace(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 {
 	int ret;
@@ -218,6 +239,10 @@ int cmd_ftrace(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __maybe_unused)
 	OPT_END()
 	};
 
+	ret = perf_config(perf_ftrace_config, &ftrace);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return -1;
+
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, ftrace_options, ftrace_usage,
 			    PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION);
 	if (!argc)