diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c b/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c
index fa833f5..2e2855a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c
@@ -521,21 +521,6 @@
 	OPT_END()
 };
 
-static void setup_sorting(void)
-{
-	char *tmp, *tok, *str = strdup(sort_order);
-
-	for (tok = strtok_r(str, ", ", &tmp);
-			tok; tok = strtok_r(NULL, ", ", &tmp)) {
-		if (sort_dimension__add(tok) < 0) {
-			error("Unknown --sort key: `%s'", tok);
-			usage_with_options(annotate_usage, options);
-		}
-	}
-
-	free(str);
-}
-
 int cmd_annotate(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __used)
 {
 	if (symbol__init(&symbol_conf) < 0)
@@ -543,7 +528,7 @@
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, options, annotate_usage, 0);
 
-	setup_sorting();
+	setup_sorting(annotate_usage, options);
 
 	if (argc) {
 		/*
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
index d12ea4a..beff7c0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
@@ -843,21 +843,6 @@
 	OPT_END()
 };
 
-static void setup_sorting(void)
-{
-	char *tmp, *tok, *str = strdup(sort_order);
-
-	for (tok = strtok_r(str, ", ", &tmp);
-			tok; tok = strtok_r(NULL, ", ", &tmp)) {
-		if (sort_dimension__add(tok) < 0) {
-			error("Unknown --sort key: `%s'", tok);
-			usage_with_options(report_usage, options);
-		}
-	}
-
-	free(str);
-}
-
 static void setup_list(struct strlist **list, const char *list_str,
 		       struct sort_entry *se, const char *list_name,
 		       FILE *fp)
@@ -884,7 +869,7 @@
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, options, report_usage, 0);
 
-	setup_sorting();
+	setup_sorting(report_usage, options);
 
 	if (parent_pattern != default_parent_pattern) {
 		sort_dimension__add("parent");
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.c b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
index b490354..cff1c31 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
@@ -288,3 +288,18 @@
 
 	return -ESRCH;
 }
+
+void setup_sorting(const char * const usagestr[], const struct option *opts)
+{
+	char *tmp, *tok, *str = strdup(sort_order);
+
+	for (tok = strtok_r(str, ", ", &tmp);
+			tok; tok = strtok_r(NULL, ", ", &tmp)) {
+		if (sort_dimension__add(tok) < 0) {
+			error("Unknown --sort key: `%s'", tok);
+			usage_with_options(usagestr, opts);
+		}
+	}
+
+	free(str);
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.h b/tools/perf/util/sort.h
index 333e664..cb6151c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.h
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@
 extern struct sort_entry sort_thread;
 extern struct list_head hist_entry__sort_list;
 
+void setup_sorting(const char * const usagestr[], const struct option *opts);
+
 extern int repsep_fprintf(FILE *fp, const char *fmt, ...);
 extern size_t sort__thread_print(FILE *, struct hist_entry *, unsigned int);
 extern size_t sort__comm_print(FILE *, struct hist_entry *, unsigned int);