diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-buildid-list.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-buildid-list.txt
index 770a7f3bd754..cc22325ffd1b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-buildid-list.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-buildid-list.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ This command displays the buildids found in a perf.data file, so that other
 tools can be used to fetch packages with matching symbol tables for use by
 perf report.
 
-It can also be used to show the build id of the running kernel.
+It can also be used to show the build id of the running kernel or in an ELF
+file using -i/--input.
 
 OPTIONS
 -------
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
index 4102eadcf849..cb690a65bf02 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 /*
  * builtin-buildid-list.c
  *
- * Builtin buildid-list command: list buildids in perf.data or in the running
- * kernel.
+ * Builtin buildid-list command: list buildids in perf.data, in the running
+ * kernel and in ELF files.
  *
  * Copyright (C) 2009, Red Hat Inc.
  * Copyright (C) 2009, Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@redhat.com>
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 #include "util/session.h"
 #include "util/symbol.h"
 
+#include <libelf.h>
+
 static char const *input_name = "perf.data";
 static bool force;
 static bool show_kernel;
@@ -70,12 +72,31 @@ static int sysfs__fprintf_build_id(FILE *fp)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int filename__fprintf_build_id(const char *name, FILE *fp)
+{
+	u8 build_id[BUILD_ID_SIZE];
+	char sbuild_id[BUILD_ID_SIZE * 2 + 1];
+
+	if (filename__read_build_id(name, build_id,
+				    sizeof(build_id)) != sizeof(build_id))
+		return 0;
+
+	build_id__sprintf(build_id, sizeof(build_id), sbuild_id);
+	return fprintf(fp, "%s\n", sbuild_id);
+}
+
 static int __cmd_buildid_list(void)
 {
-
 	if (show_kernel)
 		return sysfs__fprintf_build_id(stdout);
 
+	elf_version(EV_CURRENT);
+	/*
+ 	 * See if this is an ELF file first:
+ 	 */
+	if (filename__fprintf_build_id(input_name, stdout))
+		return 0;
+
 	return perf_session__list_build_ids();
 }