diff --git a/tools/perf/util/debug.c b/tools/perf/util/debug.c
index 88378c4c5dd9..e282b4ceb4d2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/debug.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/debug.c
@@ -38,12 +38,21 @@ bool dump_trace = false, quiet = false;
 int debug_ordered_events;
 static int redirect_to_stderr;
 int debug_data_convert;
-static FILE *debug_file;
+static FILE *_debug_file;
 bool debug_display_time;
 
+FILE *debug_file(void)
+{
+	if (!_debug_file) {
+		pr_warning_once("debug_file not set");
+		debug_set_file(stderr);
+	}
+	return _debug_file;
+}
+
 void debug_set_file(FILE *file)
 {
-	debug_file = file;
+	_debug_file = file;
 }
 
 void debug_set_display_time(bool set)
@@ -78,8 +87,8 @@ int veprintf(int level, int var, const char *fmt, va_list args)
 		if (use_browser >= 1 && !redirect_to_stderr) {
 			ui_helpline__vshow(fmt, args);
 		} else {
-			ret = fprintf_time(debug_file);
-			ret += vfprintf(debug_file, fmt, args);
+			ret = fprintf_time(debug_file());
+			ret += vfprintf(debug_file(), fmt, args);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -107,9 +116,8 @@ static int veprintf_time(u64 t, const char *fmt, va_list args)
 	nsecs -= secs  * NSEC_PER_SEC;
 	usecs  = nsecs / NSEC_PER_USEC;
 
-	ret = fprintf(stderr, "[%13" PRIu64 ".%06" PRIu64 "] ",
-		      secs, usecs);
-	ret += vfprintf(stderr, fmt, args);
+	ret = fprintf(debug_file(), "[%13" PRIu64 ".%06" PRIu64 "] ", secs, usecs);
+	ret += vfprintf(debug_file(), fmt, args);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/debug.h b/tools/perf/util/debug.h
index f99468a7f681..de8870980d44 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/debug.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/debug.h
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ int eprintf_time(int level, int var, u64 t, const char *fmt, ...) __printf(4, 5)
 int veprintf(int level, int var, const char *fmt, va_list args);
 
 int perf_debug_option(const char *str);
+FILE *debug_file(void);
 void debug_set_file(FILE *file);
 void debug_set_display_time(bool set);
 void perf_debug_setup(void);