diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/perf_record.sh b/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/perf_record.sh
index e137fa75370d..2b9e11b66dc7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/perf_record.sh
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/shell/lib/perf_record.sh
@@ -24,9 +24,14 @@ perf_record_with_retry() {
   local duration
   local first_run=true
   local ret=1
+  local cmd_prefix="perf record"
+  if [ -n "${PERF_RECORD_CMD}" ]; then
+    cmd_prefix="${PERF_RECORD_CMD}"
+  fi
+
   for duration in 0.01 0.1 0.3 1.0 2.0; do
     rm -f "${perfdata}".old
-    perf record "$@" -o "${perfdata}" ${testprog_base} ${duration} > "$logfile" 2>&1
+    ${cmd_prefix} "$@" -o "${perfdata}" ${testprog_base} ${duration} > "$logfile" 2>&1
     local record_exit=$?
 
     if [ "$first_run" = true ] && [ $record_exit -ne 0 ]; then
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace_record_replay.sh b/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace_record_replay.sh
index 88d30a03dcec..38fcafcdfb91 100755
--- a/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace_record_replay.sh
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/shell/trace_record_replay.sh
@@ -6,16 +6,46 @@
 
 # shellcheck source=lib/probe.sh
 . "$(dirname $0)"/lib/probe.sh
+# shellcheck source=lib/perf_record.sh
+. "$(dirname $0)"/lib/perf_record.sh
 
 skip_if_no_perf_trace || exit 2
 [ "$(id -u)" = 0 ] || exit 2
 
 file=$(mktemp /tmp/temporary_file.XXXXX)
+err=0
 
-perf trace record -o ${file} sleep 1 || exit 1
-if ! perf trace -i ${file} 2>&1 | grep nanosleep; then
-	echo "Failed: cannot find *nanosleep syscall"
+cleanup() {
+	rm -f ${file}
+	perf_record_cleanup
+	trap - EXIT INT TERM
+}
+
+trap_cleanup() {
+	echo "Unexpected signal in ${FUNCNAME[1]}"
+	cleanup
+	exit 1
+}
+trap trap_cleanup EXIT INT TERM
+
+check_nanosleep() {
+  perf trace -i "${file}" 2>&1 | grep -q nanosleep
+}
+
+PERF_RECORD_CMD="perf trace record" perf_record_with_retry "${file}" "check_nanosleep" "sleep"
+err=$?
+
+if [ $err -ne 0 ]; then
+	if [ $err -eq 2 ]; then
+		logfile="${PERF_RECORD_LOGS[${#PERF_RECORD_LOGS[@]}-1]}"
+		echo "perf trace record failed. Log output:"
+		cat "$logfile"
+	else
+		echo "Failed: cannot find *nanosleep syscall"
+	fi
+	cleanup
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-rm -f ${file}
+cleanup
+exit 0