diff --git a/tools/perf/util/python.c b/tools/perf/util/python.c
index 925e0c3e6d91..381f4fda9654 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/python.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/python.c
@@ -8,6 +8,26 @@
 #include "cpumap.h"
 #include "thread_map.h"
 
+/*
+ * Support debug printing even though util/debug.c is not linked.  That means
+ * implementing 'verbose' and 'eprintf'.
+ */
+int verbose;
+
+int eprintf(int level, const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list args;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	if (verbose >= level) {
+		va_start(args, fmt);
+		ret = vfprintf(stderr, fmt, args);
+		va_end(args);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 /* Define PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT for python 2.5 */
 #ifndef PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT
 # define PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT(type, size) PyObject_HEAD_INIT(type) size,