diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-help.c b/tools/perf/builtin-help.c
index a7d588b..275aa64 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-help.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-help.c
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@
 #ifndef open_html
 static void open_html(const char *path)
 {
-	execl_perf_cmd("web--browse", "-c", "help.browser", path, NULL);
+	execl_cmd("web--browse", "-c", "help.browser", path, NULL);
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
index d259e9a..571016f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
@@ -1408,7 +1408,7 @@
 	char first_half[BUFSIZ];
 	char *script_root;
 
-	snprintf(scripts_path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/scripts", perf_exec_path());
+	snprintf(scripts_path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/scripts", get_argv_exec_path());
 
 	scripts_dir = opendir(scripts_path);
 	if (!scripts_dir)
@@ -1529,7 +1529,7 @@
 	if (!session)
 		return -1;
 
-	snprintf(scripts_path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/scripts", perf_exec_path());
+	snprintf(scripts_path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/scripts", get_argv_exec_path());
 
 	scripts_dir = opendir(scripts_path);
 	if (!scripts_dir) {
@@ -1587,7 +1587,7 @@
 	char lang_path[MAXPATHLEN];
 	char *__script_root;
 
-	snprintf(scripts_path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/scripts", perf_exec_path());
+	snprintf(scripts_path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/scripts", get_argv_exec_path());
 
 	scripts_dir = opendir(scripts_path);
 	if (!scripts_dir)
@@ -1823,7 +1823,7 @@
 		scripting_max_stack = itrace_synth_opts.callchain_sz;
 
 	/* make sure PERF_EXEC_PATH is set for scripts */
-	perf_set_argv_exec_path(perf_exec_path());
+	set_argv_exec_path(get_argv_exec_path());
 
 	if (argc && !script_name && !rec_script_path && !rep_script_path) {
 		int live_pipe[2];
diff --git a/tools/perf/perf.c b/tools/perf/perf.c
index 783a331..6894325 100644
--- a/tools/perf/perf.c
+++ b/tools/perf/perf.c
@@ -183,9 +183,9 @@
 		if (!prefixcmp(cmd, CMD_EXEC_PATH)) {
 			cmd += strlen(CMD_EXEC_PATH);
 			if (*cmd == '=')
-				perf_set_argv_exec_path(cmd + 1);
+				set_argv_exec_path(cmd + 1);
 			else {
-				puts(perf_exec_path());
+				puts(get_argv_exec_path());
 				exit(0);
 			}
 		} else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--html-path")) {
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@
 	page_size = sysconf(_SC_PAGE_SIZE);
 	cacheline_size = sysconf(_SC_LEVEL1_DCACHE_LINESIZE);
 
-	cmd = perf_extract_argv0_path(argv[0]);
+	cmd = extract_argv0_path(argv[0]);
 	if (!cmd)
 		cmd = "perf-help";
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/attr.c b/tools/perf/tests/attr.c
index b66730eb9..6337f1c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/attr.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/attr.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@
 		return run_dir("./tests", "./perf");
 
 	/* Then installed path. */
-	snprintf(path_dir,  PATH_MAX, "%s/tests", perf_exec_path());
+	snprintf(path_dir,  PATH_MAX, "%s/tests", get_argv_exec_path());
 	snprintf(path_perf, PATH_MAX, "%s/perf", BINDIR);
 
 	if (!lstat(path_dir, &st) &&
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.c b/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.c
index 65d86dc..701111a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 	return buf;
 }
 
-const char *perf_extract_argv0_path(const char *argv0)
+const char *extract_argv0_path(const char *argv0)
 {
 	const char *slash;
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 	return argv0;
 }
 
-void perf_set_argv_exec_path(const char *exec_path)
+void set_argv_exec_path(const char *exec_path)
 {
 	argv_exec_path = exec_path;
 	/*
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@
 }
 
 
-/* Returns the highest-priority, location to look for perf programs. */
-char *perf_exec_path(void)
+/* Returns the highest-priority location to look for subprograms. */
+char *get_argv_exec_path(void)
 {
 	char *env;
 
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
 {
 	const char *old_path = getenv("PATH");
 	char *new_path = NULL;
-	char *tmp = perf_exec_path();
+	char *tmp = get_argv_exec_path();
 
 	add_path(&new_path, tmp);
 	add_path(&new_path, argv0_path);
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
 	free(new_path);
 }
 
-static const char **prepare_perf_cmd(const char **argv)
+static const char **prepare_exec_cmd(const char **argv)
 {
 	int argc;
 	const char **nargv;
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@
 	return nargv;
 }
 
-int execv_perf_cmd(const char **argv) {
-	const char **nargv = prepare_perf_cmd(argv);
+int execv_cmd(const char **argv) {
+	const char **nargv = prepare_exec_cmd(argv);
 
 	/* execvp() can only ever return if it fails */
 	execvp(subcmd_config.exec_name, (char **)nargv);
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
 }
 
 
-int execl_perf_cmd(const char *cmd,...)
+int execl_cmd(const char *cmd,...)
 {
 	int argc;
 	const char *argv[MAX_ARGS + 1];
@@ -155,5 +155,5 @@
 		return error("too many args to run %s", cmd);
 
 	argv[argc] = NULL;
-	return execv_perf_cmd(argv);
+	return execv_cmd(argv);
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.h b/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.h
index fd4434e..f1bd343 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/exec_cmd.h
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@
 extern void exec_cmd_init(const char *exec_name, const char *prefix,
 			  const char *exec_path, const char *exec_path_env);
 
-extern void perf_set_argv_exec_path(const char *exec_path);
-extern const char *perf_extract_argv0_path(const char *path);
+extern void set_argv_exec_path(const char *exec_path);
+extern const char *extract_argv0_path(const char *path);
 extern void setup_path(void);
-extern int execv_perf_cmd(const char **argv); /* NULL terminated */
-extern int execl_perf_cmd(const char *cmd, ...);
-/* perf_exec_path and system_path return malloc'd string, caller must free it */
-extern char *perf_exec_path(void);
+extern int execv_cmd(const char **argv); /* NULL terminated */
+extern int execl_cmd(const char *cmd, ...);
+/* get_argv_exec_path and system_path return malloc'd string, caller must free it */
+extern char *get_argv_exec_path(void);
 extern char *system_path(const char *path);
 
 #endif /* __PERF_EXEC_CMD_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/help.c b/tools/perf/util/help.c
index 8e5e0ce..303a347 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/help.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/help.c
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@
 		struct cmdnames *other_cmds)
 {
 	const char *env_path = getenv("PATH");
-	char *exec_path = perf_exec_path();
+	char *exec_path = get_argv_exec_path();
 
 	if (exec_path) {
 		list_commands_in_dir(main_cmds, exec_path, prefix);
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@
 			longest = other_cmds->names[i]->len;
 
 	if (main_cmds->cnt) {
-		char *exec_path = perf_exec_path();
+		char *exec_path = get_argv_exec_path();
 		printf("available %s in '%s'\n", title, exec_path);
 		printf("----------------");
 		mput_char('-', strlen(title) + strlen(exec_path));
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/run-command.c b/tools/perf/util/run-command.c
index 34622b5..910c0f6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/run-command.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/run-command.c
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@
 		}
 		if (cmd->preexec_cb)
 			cmd->preexec_cb();
-		if (cmd->perf_cmd) {
-			execv_perf_cmd(cmd->argv);
+		if (cmd->exec_cmd) {
+			execv_cmd(cmd->argv);
 		} else {
 			execvp(cmd->argv[0], (char *const*) cmd->argv);
 		}
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@
 	memset(cmd, 0, sizeof(*cmd));
 	cmd->argv = argv;
 	cmd->no_stdin = opt & RUN_COMMAND_NO_STDIN ? 1 : 0;
-	cmd->perf_cmd = opt & RUN_PERF_CMD ? 1 : 0;
+	cmd->exec_cmd = opt & RUN_EXEC_CMD ? 1 : 0;
 	cmd->stdout_to_stderr = opt & RUN_COMMAND_STDOUT_TO_STDERR ? 1 : 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/run-command.h b/tools/perf/util/run-command.h
index 1ef264d..cf7d655 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/run-command.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/run-command.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 	unsigned no_stdin:1;
 	unsigned no_stdout:1;
 	unsigned no_stderr:1;
-	unsigned perf_cmd:1; /* if this is to be perf sub-command */
+	unsigned exec_cmd:1; /* if this is to be external sub-command */
 	unsigned stdout_to_stderr:1;
 	void (*preexec_cb)(void);
 };
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 int run_command(struct child_process *);
 
 #define RUN_COMMAND_NO_STDIN 1
-#define RUN_PERF_CMD	     2	/*If this is to be perf sub-command */
+#define RUN_EXEC_CMD	     2	/*If this is to be external sub-command */
 #define RUN_COMMAND_STDOUT_TO_STDERR 4
 int run_command_v_opt(const char **argv, int opt);