diff --git a/tools/perf/perf.c b/tools/perf/perf.c
index 873e55f..fc89005 100644
--- a/tools/perf/perf.c
+++ b/tools/perf/perf.c
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@
 /* mini /proc/mounts parser: searching for "^blah /mount/point debugfs" */
 static void get_debugfs_mntpt(void)
 {
-	const char *path = debugfs_find_mountpoint();
+	const char *path = debugfs_mount(NULL);
 
 	if (path)
 		strncpy(debugfs_mntpt, path, sizeof(debugfs_mntpt));
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/debugfs.c b/tools/perf/util/debugfs.c
index 06b73ee..1f805fd 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/debugfs.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/debugfs.c
@@ -106,16 +106,14 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/* mount the debugfs somewhere */
+/* mount the debugfs somewhere if it's not mounted */
 
-int debugfs_mount(const char *mountpoint)
+char *debugfs_mount(const char *mountpoint)
 {
-	char mountcmd[128];
-
 	/* see if it's already mounted */
 	if (debugfs_find_mountpoint()) {
 		debugfs_premounted = 1;
-		return 0;
+		return debugfs_mountpoint;
 	}
 
 	/* if not mounted and no argument */
@@ -127,13 +125,13 @@
 			mountpoint = "/sys/kernel/debug";
 	}
 
+	if (mount(NULL, mountpoint, "debugfs", 0, NULL) < 0)
+		return NULL;
+
 	/* save the mountpoint */
 	strncpy(debugfs_mountpoint, mountpoint, sizeof(debugfs_mountpoint));
 
-	/* mount it */
-	snprintf(mountcmd, sizeof(mountcmd),
-		 "/bin/mount -t debugfs debugfs %s", mountpoint);
-	return system(mountcmd);
+	return debugfs_mountpoint;
 }
 
 /* umount the debugfs */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/debugfs.h b/tools/perf/util/debugfs.h
index 3cd14f9..83a0287 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/debugfs.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/debugfs.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 extern const char *debugfs_find_mountpoint(void);
 extern int debugfs_valid_mountpoint(const char *debugfs);
 extern int debugfs_valid_entry(const char *path);
-extern int debugfs_mount(const char *mountpoint);
+extern char *debugfs_mount(const char *mountpoint);
 extern int debugfs_umount(void);
 extern int debugfs_write(const char *entry, const char *value);
 extern int debugfs_read(const char *entry, char *buffer, size_t size);