diff --git a/tools/perf/util/machine.c b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
index df41aa1a4cf9..8992fcf42257 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/machine.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
@@ -431,6 +431,12 @@ threads__get_last_match(struct threads *threads, struct machine *machine,
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+static void
+threads__set_last_match(struct threads *threads, struct thread *th)
+{
+	threads->last_match = th;
+}
+
 /*
  * Caller must eventually drop thread->refcnt returned with a successful
  * lookup/new thread inserted.
@@ -453,7 +459,7 @@ static struct thread *____machine__findnew_thread(struct machine *machine,
 		th = rb_entry(parent, struct thread, rb_node);
 
 		if (th->tid == tid) {
-			threads->last_match = th;
+			threads__set_last_match(threads, th);
 			machine__update_thread_pid(machine, th, pid);
 			return thread__get(th);
 		}
@@ -490,7 +496,7 @@ static struct thread *____machine__findnew_thread(struct machine *machine,
 		 * It is now in the rbtree, get a ref
 		 */
 		thread__get(th);
-		threads->last_match = th;
+		threads__set_last_match(threads, th);
 		++threads->nr;
 	}
 
@@ -1648,7 +1654,7 @@ static void __machine__remove_thread(struct machine *machine, struct thread *th,
 	struct threads *threads = machine__threads(machine, th->tid);
 
 	if (threads->last_match == th)
-		threads->last_match = NULL;
+		threads__set_last_match(threads, NULL);
 
 	BUG_ON(refcount_read(&th->refcnt) == 0);
 	if (lock)