diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile b/tools/perf/Makefile
index 939cf6d898a5..afd507574902 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile
@@ -917,6 +917,9 @@ $(LIB_FILE): $(LIB_OBJS)
 $(LIBTRACEEVENT):
 	$(QUIET_SUBDIR0)$(TRACE_EVENT_DIR) $(QUIET_SUBDIR1) O=$(OUTPUT) libtraceevent.a
 
+$(LIBTRACEEVENT)-clean:
+	$(QUIET_SUBDIR0)$(TRACE_EVENT_DIR) $(QUIET_SUBDIR1) O=$(OUTPUT) clean
+
 help:
 	@echo 'Perf make targets:'
 	@echo '  doc		- make *all* documentation (see below)'
@@ -1056,7 +1059,7 @@ quick-install-html:
 
 ### Cleaning rules
 
-clean:
+clean: $(LIBTRACEEVENT)-clean
 	$(RM) $(LIB_OBJS) $(BUILTIN_OBJS) $(LIB_FILE) $(OUTPUT)perf-archive $(OUTPUT)perf.o $(LANG_BINDINGS)
 	$(RM) $(ALL_PROGRAMS) perf
 	$(RM) *.spec *.pyc *.pyo */*.pyc */*.pyo $(OUTPUT)common-cmds.h TAGS tags cscope*