diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
index 876065a02de6..96a68723109f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ $(LIBPMU_EVENTS): $(LIBPMU_EVENTS_IN)
 
 # The $(LIBPERF_UTIL) dependency is to ensure bpftool and vmlinux.h
 # aren't racily built for bench/bpf_skel/bench_uprobe.bpf.c
-$(LIBPERF_BENCH_IN): FORCE prepare | $(LIBPERF_UTIL)
+$(LIBPERF_BENCH_IN): FORCE prepare $(LIBSYMBOL) | $(LIBPERF_UTIL)
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=perf-bench
 
 $(LIBPERF_BENCH): $(LIBPERF_BENCH_IN)
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ $(LIBPERF_UI_IN): FORCE prepare
 $(LIBPERF_UI): $(LIBPERF_UI_IN)
 	$(QUIET_AR)$(RM) $@ && $(AR) rcs $@ $<
 
-$(LIBPERF_UTIL_IN): FORCE prepare
+$(LIBPERF_UTIL_IN): FORCE prepare $(LIBSYMBOL)
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=perf-util
 
 $(LIBPERF_UTIL): $(LIBPERF_UTIL_IN)
@@ -637,8 +637,7 @@ prepare: $(OUTPUT)PERF-VERSION-FILE \
 	bpf-skel-prepare \
 	$(LIBAPI) \
 	$(LIBPERF) \
-	$(LIBSUBCMD) \
-	$(LIBSYMBOL)
+	$(LIBSUBCMD)
 
 ifdef LIBBPF_STATIC
 prepare: $(LIBBPF)