diff --git a/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.c b/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.c
index 701111ac7699..e7f9ed7943e3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.c
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
-#include "cache.h"
+#include <linux/compiler.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include "subcmd-util.h"
 #include "exec_cmd.h"
-#include "quote.h"
 #include "subcmd-config.h"
 
-#include <string.h>
-#include "subcmd-util.h"
-
 #define MAX_ARGS	32
+#define PATH_MAX	4096
 
 static const char *argv_exec_path;
 static const char *argv0_path;
@@ -20,6 +25,49 @@ void exec_cmd_init(const char *exec_name, const char *prefix,
 	subcmd_config.exec_path_env	= exec_path_env;
 }
 
+#define is_dir_sep(c) ((c) == '/')
+
+static int is_absolute_path(const char *path)
+{
+	return path[0] == '/';
+}
+
+static const char *get_pwd_cwd(void)
+{
+	static char cwd[PATH_MAX + 1];
+	char *pwd;
+	struct stat cwd_stat, pwd_stat;
+	if (getcwd(cwd, PATH_MAX) == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+	pwd = getenv("PWD");
+	if (pwd && strcmp(pwd, cwd)) {
+		stat(cwd, &cwd_stat);
+		if (!stat(pwd, &pwd_stat) &&
+		    pwd_stat.st_dev == cwd_stat.st_dev &&
+		    pwd_stat.st_ino == cwd_stat.st_ino) {
+			strlcpy(cwd, pwd, PATH_MAX);
+		}
+	}
+	return cwd;
+}
+
+static const char *make_nonrelative_path(const char *path)
+{
+	static char buf[PATH_MAX + 1];
+
+	if (is_absolute_path(path)) {
+		if (strlcpy(buf, path, PATH_MAX) >= PATH_MAX)
+			die("Too long path: %.*s", 60, path);
+	} else {
+		const char *cwd = get_pwd_cwd();
+		if (!cwd)
+			die("Cannot determine the current working directory");
+		if (snprintf(buf, PATH_MAX, "%s/%s", cwd, path) >= PATH_MAX)
+			die("Too long path: %.*s", 60, path);
+	}
+	return buf;
+}
+
 char *system_path(const char *path)
 {
 	char *buf = NULL;
@@ -151,8 +199,10 @@ int execl_cmd(const char *cmd,...)
 			break;
 	}
 	va_end(param);
-	if (MAX_ARGS <= argc)
-		return error("too many args to run %s", cmd);
+	if (MAX_ARGS <= argc) {
+		fprintf(stderr, " Error: too many args to run %s\n", cmd);
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	argv[argc] = NULL;
 	return execv_cmd(argv);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/help.c b/tools/perf/util/help.c
index 303a347ee234..8169480066c6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/help.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/help.c
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
-#include "cache.h"
-#include "../builtin.h"
-#include "exec_cmd.h"
-#include "help.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <termios.h>
+#include <sys/ioctl.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
 #include "subcmd-util.h"
+#include "help.h"
+#include "exec_cmd.h"
 
 void add_cmdname(struct cmdnames *cmds, const char *name, size_t len)
 {
@@ -70,6 +77,28 @@ void exclude_cmds(struct cmdnames *cmds, struct cmdnames *excludes)
 	cmds->cnt = cj;
 }
 
+static void get_term_dimensions(struct winsize *ws)
+{
+	char *s = getenv("LINES");
+
+	if (s != NULL) {
+		ws->ws_row = atoi(s);
+		s = getenv("COLUMNS");
+		if (s != NULL) {
+			ws->ws_col = atoi(s);
+			if (ws->ws_row && ws->ws_col)
+				return;
+		}
+	}
+#ifdef TIOCGWINSZ
+	if (ioctl(1, TIOCGWINSZ, ws) == 0 &&
+	    ws->ws_row && ws->ws_col)
+		return;
+#endif
+	ws->ws_row = 25;
+	ws->ws_col = 80;
+}
+
 static void pretty_print_string_list(struct cmdnames *cmds, int longest)
 {
 	int cols = 1, rows;
@@ -113,6 +142,14 @@ static int is_executable(const char *name)
 	return st.st_mode & S_IXUSR;
 }
 
+static int has_extension(const char *filename, const char *ext)
+{
+	size_t len = strlen(filename);
+	size_t extlen = strlen(ext);
+
+	return len > extlen && !memcmp(filename + len - extlen, ext, extlen);
+}
+
 static void list_commands_in_dir(struct cmdnames *cmds,
 					 const char *path,
 					 const char *prefix)
@@ -168,7 +205,7 @@ void load_command_list(const char *prefix,
 		char *paths, *path, *colon;
 		path = paths = strdup(env_path);
 		while (1) {
-			if ((colon = strchr(path, PATH_SEP)))
+			if ((colon = strchr(path, ':')))
 				*colon = 0;
 			if (!exec_path || strcmp(path, exec_path))
 				list_commands_in_dir(other_cmds, path, prefix);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/help.h b/tools/perf/util/help.h
index 14851b0e44f5..096c8bc45cd7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/help.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/help.h
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 #ifndef __PERF_HELP_H
 #define __PERF_HELP_H
 
+#include <sys/types.h>
+
 struct cmdnames {
 	size_t alloc;
 	size_t cnt;
 	struct cmdname {
 		size_t len; /* also used for similarity index in help.c */
-		char name[FLEX_ARRAY];
+		char name[];
 	} **names;
 };
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pager.c b/tools/perf/util/pager.c
index d5ef62eaa413..d50f3b58606b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pager.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pager.c
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-#include "cache.h"
+#include <sys/select.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+#include "pager.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "sigchain.h"
 #include "subcmd-config.h"
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c
index c1da2a53ed4e..981bb4481fd5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
-#include "util.h"
+#include <linux/compiler.h>
+#include <linux/types.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
 #include "subcmd-util.h"
 #include "parse-options.h"
-#include "cache.h"
-#include "header.h"
 #include "subcmd-config.h"
-#include <linux/string.h>
+#include "pager.h"
 
 #define OPT_SHORT 1
 #define OPT_UNSET 2
@@ -14,20 +18,29 @@ char *error_buf;
 static int opterror(const struct option *opt, const char *reason, int flags)
 {
 	if (flags & OPT_SHORT)
-		return error("switch `%c' %s", opt->short_name, reason);
-	if (flags & OPT_UNSET)
-		return error("option `no-%s' %s", opt->long_name, reason);
-	return error("option `%s' %s", opt->long_name, reason);
+		fprintf(stderr, " Error: switch `%c' %s", opt->short_name, reason);
+	else if (flags & OPT_UNSET)
+		fprintf(stderr, " Error: option `no-%s' %s", opt->long_name, reason);
+	else
+		fprintf(stderr, " Error: option `%s' %s", opt->long_name, reason);
+
+	return -1;
+}
+
+static const char *skip_prefix(const char *str, const char *prefix)
+{
+	size_t len = strlen(prefix);
+	return strncmp(str, prefix, len) ? NULL : str + len;
 }
 
 static void optwarning(const struct option *opt, const char *reason, int flags)
 {
 	if (flags & OPT_SHORT)
-		warning("switch `%c' %s", opt->short_name, reason);
+		fprintf(stderr, " Warning: switch `%c' %s", opt->short_name, reason);
 	else if (flags & OPT_UNSET)
-		warning("option `no-%s' %s", opt->long_name, reason);
+		fprintf(stderr, " Warning: option `no-%s' %s", opt->long_name, reason);
 	else
-		warning("option `%s' %s", opt->long_name, reason);
+		fprintf(stderr, " Warning: option `%s' %s", opt->long_name, reason);
 }
 
 static int get_arg(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *p, const struct option *opt,
@@ -71,11 +84,11 @@ static int get_value(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *p,
 
 			if (((flags & OPT_SHORT) && p->excl_opt->short_name) ||
 			    p->excl_opt->long_name == NULL) {
-				scnprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "cannot be used with switch `%c'",
-					  p->excl_opt->short_name);
+				snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "cannot be used with switch `%c'",
+					 p->excl_opt->short_name);
 			} else {
-				scnprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "cannot be used with %s",
-					  p->excl_opt->long_name);
+				snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "cannot be used with %s",
+					 p->excl_opt->long_name);
 			}
 			opterror(opt, msg, flags);
 			return -3;
@@ -401,14 +414,16 @@ static int parse_long_opt(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *p, const char *arg,
 		return get_value(p, options, flags);
 	}
 
-	if (ambiguous_option)
-		return error("Ambiguous option: %s "
-			"(could be --%s%s or --%s%s)",
-			arg,
-			(ambiguous_flags & OPT_UNSET) ?  "no-" : "",
-			ambiguous_option->long_name,
-			(abbrev_flags & OPT_UNSET) ?  "no-" : "",
-			abbrev_option->long_name);
+	if (ambiguous_option) {
+		 fprintf(stderr,
+			 " Error: Ambiguous option: %s (could be --%s%s or --%s%s)",
+			 arg,
+			 (ambiguous_flags & OPT_UNSET) ?  "no-" : "",
+			 ambiguous_option->long_name,
+			 (abbrev_flags & OPT_UNSET) ?  "no-" : "",
+			 abbrev_option->long_name);
+		 return -1;
+	}
 	if (abbrev_option)
 		return get_value(p, abbrev_option, abbrev_flags);
 	return -2;
@@ -420,7 +435,7 @@ static void check_typos(const char *arg, const struct option *options)
 		return;
 
 	if (!prefixcmp(arg, "no-")) {
-		error ("did you mean `--%s` (with two dashes ?)", arg);
+		fprintf(stderr, " Error: did you mean `--%s` (with two dashes ?)", arg);
 		exit(129);
 	}
 
@@ -428,7 +443,7 @@ static void check_typos(const char *arg, const struct option *options)
 		if (!options->long_name)
 			continue;
 		if (!prefixcmp(options->long_name, arg)) {
-			error ("did you mean `--%s` (with two dashes ?)", arg);
+			fprintf(stderr, " Error: did you mean `--%s` (with two dashes ?)", arg);
 			exit(129);
 		}
 	}
@@ -746,16 +761,18 @@ static int option__cmp(const void *va, const void *vb)
 
 static struct option *options__order(const struct option *opts)
 {
-	int nr_opts = 0;
+	int nr_opts = 0, len;
 	const struct option *o = opts;
 	struct option *ordered;
 
 	for (o = opts; o->type != OPTION_END; o++)
 		++nr_opts;
 
-	ordered = memdup(opts, sizeof(*o) * (nr_opts + 1));
-	if (ordered == NULL)
+	len = sizeof(*o) * (nr_opts + 1);
+	ordered = malloc(len);
+	if (!ordered)
 		goto out;
+	memcpy(ordered, opts, len);
 
 	qsort(ordered, nr_opts, sizeof(*o), option__cmp);
 out:
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.h b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.h
index d1544069c7c0..dec893f10477 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.h
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef __PERF_PARSE_OPTIONS_H
 #define __PERF_PARSE_OPTIONS_H
 
-#include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
 
 enum parse_opt_type {
 	/* special types */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/run-command.c b/tools/perf/util/run-command.c
index 910c0f6479f4..fed37d6ae070 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/run-command.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/run-command.c
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
-#include "cache.h"
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#include "subcmd-util.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "exec_cmd.h"
-#include "debug.h"
+
+#define STRERR_BUFSIZE 128
 
 static inline void close_pair(int fd[2])
 {
@@ -164,8 +172,8 @@ static int wait_or_whine(pid_t pid)
 		if (waiting < 0) {
 			if (errno == EINTR)
 				continue;
-			error("waitpid failed (%s)",
-			      strerror_r(errno, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf)));
+			fprintf(stderr, " Error: waitpid failed (%s)",
+				strerror_r(errno, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf)));
 			return -ERR_RUN_COMMAND_WAITPID;
 		}
 		if (waiting != pid)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/run-command.h b/tools/perf/util/run-command.h
index cf7d655ee2a3..4a55393a6547 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/run-command.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/run-command.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef __PERF_RUN_COMMAND_H
 #define __PERF_RUN_COMMAND_H
 
+#include <unistd.h>
+
 enum {
 	ERR_RUN_COMMAND_FORK = 10000,
 	ERR_RUN_COMMAND_EXEC,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sigchain.c b/tools/perf/util/sigchain.c
index ba785e9b1841..3537c348a18e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sigchain.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sigchain.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
+#include <signal.h>
+#include "subcmd-util.h"
 #include "sigchain.h"
-#include "cache.h"
 
 #define SIGCHAIN_MAX_SIGNALS 32
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/subcmd-util.h b/tools/perf/util/subcmd-util.h
index 98fb9f9270eb..321aeb11a381 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/subcmd-util.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/subcmd-util.h
@@ -1,8 +1,66 @@
 #ifndef __PERF_SUBCMD_UTIL_H
 #define __PERF_SUBCMD_UTIL_H
 
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
+#define NORETURN __attribute__((__noreturn__))
+
+static inline void report(const char *prefix, const char *err, va_list params)
+{
+	char msg[1024];
+	vsnprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), err, params);
+	fprintf(stderr, " %s%s\n", prefix, msg);
+}
+
+static NORETURN inline void die(const char *err, ...)
+{
+	va_list params;
+
+	va_start(params, err);
+	report(" Fatal: ", err, params);
+	exit(128);
+	va_end(params);
+}
+
+#define zfree(ptr) ({ free(*ptr); *ptr = NULL; })
+
+#define alloc_nr(x) (((x)+16)*3/2)
+
+/*
+ * Realloc the buffer pointed at by variable 'x' so that it can hold
+ * at least 'nr' entries; the number of entries currently allocated
+ * is 'alloc', using the standard growing factor alloc_nr() macro.
+ *
+ * DO NOT USE any expression with side-effect for 'x' or 'alloc'.
+ */
+#define ALLOC_GROW(x, nr, alloc) \
+	do { \
+		if ((nr) > alloc) { \
+			if (alloc_nr(alloc) < (nr)) \
+				alloc = (nr); \
+			else \
+				alloc = alloc_nr(alloc); \
+			x = xrealloc((x), alloc * sizeof(*(x))); \
+		} \
+	} while(0)
+
+static inline void *xrealloc(void *ptr, size_t size)
+{
+	void *ret = realloc(ptr, size);
+	if (!ret && !size)
+		ret = realloc(ptr, 1);
+	if (!ret) {
+		ret = realloc(ptr, size);
+		if (!ret && !size)
+			ret = realloc(ptr, 1);
+		if (!ret)
+			die("Out of memory, realloc failed");
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
+
 #define astrcatf(out, fmt, ...)						\
 ({									\
 	char *tmp = *(out);						\
@@ -21,4 +79,13 @@ static inline void astrcat(char **out, const char *add)
 	free(tmp);
 }
 
+static inline int prefixcmp(const char *str, const char *prefix)
+{
+	for (; ; str++, prefix++)
+		if (!*prefix)
+			return 0;
+		else if (*str != *prefix)
+			return (unsigned char)*prefix - (unsigned char)*str;
+}
+
 #endif /* __PERF_SUBCMD_UTIL_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.h b/tools/perf/util/util.h
index 150858f3b4f0..4b519c59bdc3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.h
@@ -151,12 +151,6 @@ extern void set_warning_routine(void (*routine)(const char *err, va_list params)
 extern int prefixcmp(const char *str, const char *prefix);
 extern void set_buildid_dir(const char *dir);
 
-static inline const char *skip_prefix(const char *str, const char *prefix)
-{
-	size_t len = strlen(prefix);
-	return strncmp(str, prefix, len) ? NULL : str + len;
-}
-
 #ifdef __GLIBC_PREREQ
 #if __GLIBC_PREREQ(2, 1)
 #define HAVE_STRCHRNUL
@@ -187,14 +181,6 @@ static inline void *zalloc(size_t size)
 
 #define zfree(ptr) ({ free(*ptr); *ptr = NULL; })
 
-static inline int has_extension(const char *filename, const char *ext)
-{
-	size_t len = strlen(filename);
-	size_t extlen = strlen(ext);
-
-	return len > extlen && !memcmp(filename + len - extlen, ext, extlen);
-}
-
 /* Sane ctype - no locale, and works with signed chars */
 #undef isascii
 #undef isspace