diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
index 14d03edc81c2..1a4ef9cd9d5f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
@@ -990,6 +990,7 @@ static int kvm_live_open_events(struct perf_kvm_stat *kvm)
 	int err, rc = -1;
 	struct perf_evsel *pos;
 	struct perf_evlist *evlist = kvm->evlist;
+	char sbuf[STRERR_BUFSIZE];
 
 	perf_evlist__config(evlist, &kvm->opts);
 
@@ -1026,12 +1027,14 @@ static int kvm_live_open_events(struct perf_kvm_stat *kvm)
 
 	err = perf_evlist__open(evlist);
 	if (err < 0) {
-		printf("Couldn't create the events: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+		printf("Couldn't create the events: %s\n",
+		       strerror_r(errno, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf)));
 		goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (perf_evlist__mmap(evlist, kvm->opts.mmap_pages, false) < 0) {
-		ui__error("Failed to mmap the events: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+		ui__error("Failed to mmap the events: %s\n",
+			  strerror_r(errno, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf)));
 		perf_evlist__close(evlist);
 		goto out;
 	}