diff --git a/samples/bpf/Makefile b/samples/bpf/Makefile
index aa8c392..d36444c 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/samples/bpf/Makefile
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ hostprogs-y += xdp_adjust_tail
 # Libbpf dependencies
 LIBBPF := ../../tools/lib/bpf/bpf.o ../../tools/lib/bpf/nlattr.o
 CGROUP_HELPERS := ../../tools/testing/selftests/bpf/cgroup_helpers.o
+TRACE_HELPERS := ../../tools/testing/selftests/bpf/trace_helpers.o
 
 test_lru_dist-objs := test_lru_dist.o $(LIBBPF)
 sock_example-objs := sock_example.o $(LIBBPF)
@@ -65,10 +66,10 @@ tracex6-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) tracex6_user.o
 tracex7-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) tracex7_user.o
 load_sock_ops-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) load_sock_ops.o
 test_probe_write_user-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) test_probe_write_user_user.o
-trace_output-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) trace_output_user.o
+trace_output-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) trace_output_user.o $(TRACE_HELPERS)
 lathist-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) lathist_user.o
-offwaketime-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) offwaketime_user.o
-spintest-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) spintest_user.o
+offwaketime-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) offwaketime_user.o $(TRACE_HELPERS)
+spintest-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) spintest_user.o $(TRACE_HELPERS)
 map_perf_test-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) map_perf_test_user.o
 test_overhead-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) test_overhead_user.o
 test_cgrp2_array_pin-objs := $(LIBBPF) test_cgrp2_array_pin.o
@@ -82,8 +83,8 @@ xdp2-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) xdp1_user.o
 xdp_router_ipv4-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) xdp_router_ipv4_user.o
 test_current_task_under_cgroup-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) $(CGROUP_HELPERS) \
 				       test_current_task_under_cgroup_user.o
-trace_event-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) trace_event_user.o
-sampleip-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) sampleip_user.o
+trace_event-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) trace_event_user.o $(TRACE_HELPERS)
+sampleip-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) sampleip_user.o $(TRACE_HELPERS)
 tc_l2_redirect-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) tc_l2_redirect_user.o
 lwt_len_hist-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) lwt_len_hist_user.o
 xdp_tx_iptunnel-objs := bpf_load.o $(LIBBPF) xdp_tx_iptunnel_user.o
diff --git a/samples/bpf/bpf_load.c b/samples/bpf/bpf_load.c
index bebe418..529972e 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/bpf_load.c
+++ b/samples/bpf/bpf_load.c
@@ -650,66 +650,3 @@ void read_trace_pipe(void)
 		}
 	}
 }
-
-#define MAX_SYMS 300000
-static struct ksym syms[MAX_SYMS];
-static int sym_cnt;
-
-static int ksym_cmp(const void *p1, const void *p2)
-{
-	return ((struct ksym *)p1)->addr - ((struct ksym *)p2)->addr;
-}
-
-int load_kallsyms(void)
-{
-	FILE *f = fopen("/proc/kallsyms", "r");
-	char func[256], buf[256];
-	char symbol;
-	void *addr;
-	int i = 0;
-
-	if (!f)
-		return -ENOENT;
-
-	while (!feof(f)) {
-		if (!fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), f))
-			break;
-		if (sscanf(buf, "%p %c %s", &addr, &symbol, func) != 3)
-			break;
-		if (!addr)
-			continue;
-		syms[i].addr = (long) addr;
-		syms[i].name = strdup(func);
-		i++;
-	}
-	sym_cnt = i;
-	qsort(syms, sym_cnt, sizeof(struct ksym), ksym_cmp);
-	return 0;
-}
-
-struct ksym *ksym_search(long key)
-{
-	int start = 0, end = sym_cnt;
-	int result;
-
-	while (start < end) {
-		size_t mid = start + (end - start) / 2;
-
-		result = key - syms[mid].addr;
-		if (result < 0)
-			end = mid;
-		else if (result > 0)
-			start = mid + 1;
-		else
-			return &syms[mid];
-	}
-
-	if (start >= 1 && syms[start - 1].addr < key &&
-	    key < syms[start].addr)
-		/* valid ksym */
-		return &syms[start - 1];
-
-	/* out of range. return _stext */
-	return &syms[0];
-}
-
diff --git a/samples/bpf/bpf_load.h b/samples/bpf/bpf_load.h
index 453c200..2c3d0b4 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/bpf_load.h
+++ b/samples/bpf/bpf_load.h
@@ -54,12 +54,5 @@ int load_bpf_file(char *path);
 int load_bpf_file_fixup_map(const char *path, fixup_map_cb fixup_map);
 
 void read_trace_pipe(void);
-struct ksym {
-	long addr;
-	char *name;
-};
-
-int load_kallsyms(void);
-struct ksym *ksym_search(long key);
 int bpf_set_link_xdp_fd(int ifindex, int fd, __u32 flags);
 #endif
diff --git a/samples/bpf/offwaketime_user.c b/samples/bpf/offwaketime_user.c
index 512f87a..f06063a 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/offwaketime_user.c
+++ b/samples/bpf/offwaketime_user.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <sys/resource.h>
 #include "libbpf.h"
 #include "bpf_load.h"
+#include "trace_helpers.h"
 
 #define PRINT_RAW_ADDR 0
 
diff --git a/samples/bpf/sampleip_user.c b/samples/bpf/sampleip_user.c
index 4ed690b..60c2b73 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/sampleip_user.c
+++ b/samples/bpf/sampleip_user.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "libbpf.h"
 #include "bpf_load.h"
 #include "perf-sys.h"
+#include "trace_helpers.h"
 
 #define DEFAULT_FREQ	99
 #define DEFAULT_SECS	5
diff --git a/samples/bpf/spintest_user.c b/samples/bpf/spintest_user.c
index 3d73621..8d3e9cf 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/spintest_user.c
+++ b/samples/bpf/spintest_user.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <sys/resource.h>
 #include "libbpf.h"
 #include "bpf_load.h"
+#include "trace_helpers.h"
 
 int main(int ac, char **argv)
 {
diff --git a/samples/bpf/trace_event_user.c b/samples/bpf/trace_event_user.c
index 56f7a25..1fa1bec 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/trace_event_user.c
+++ b/samples/bpf/trace_event_user.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "libbpf.h"
 #include "bpf_load.h"
 #include "perf-sys.h"
+#include "trace_helpers.h"
 
 #define SAMPLE_FREQ 50
 
diff --git a/samples/bpf/trace_output_user.c b/samples/bpf/trace_output_user.c
index ccca1e3..cc4b383 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/trace_output_user.c
+++ b/samples/bpf/trace_output_user.c
@@ -21,100 +21,10 @@
 #include "libbpf.h"
 #include "bpf_load.h"
 #include "perf-sys.h"
+#include "trace_helpers.h"
 
 static int pmu_fd;
 
-int page_size;
-int page_cnt = 8;
-volatile struct perf_event_mmap_page *header;
-
-typedef void (*print_fn)(void *data, int size);
-
-static int perf_event_mmap(int fd)
-{
-	void *base;
-	int mmap_size;
-
-	page_size = getpagesize();
-	mmap_size = page_size * (page_cnt + 1);
-
-	base = mmap(NULL, mmap_size, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
-	if (base == MAP_FAILED) {
-		printf("mmap err\n");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	header = base;
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int perf_event_poll(int fd)
-{
-	struct pollfd pfd = { .fd = fd, .events = POLLIN };
-
-	return poll(&pfd, 1, 1000);
-}
-
-struct perf_event_sample {
-	struct perf_event_header header;
-	__u32 size;
-	char data[];
-};
-
-static void perf_event_read(print_fn fn)
-{
-	__u64 data_tail = header->data_tail;
-	__u64 data_head = header->data_head;
-	__u64 buffer_size = page_cnt * page_size;
-	void *base, *begin, *end;
-	char buf[256];
-
-	asm volatile("" ::: "memory"); /* in real code it should be smp_rmb() */
-	if (data_head == data_tail)
-		return;
-
-	base = ((char *)header) + page_size;
-
-	begin = base + data_tail % buffer_size;
-	end = base + data_head % buffer_size;
-
-	while (begin != end) {
-		struct perf_event_sample *e;
-
-		e = begin;
-		if (begin + e->header.size > base + buffer_size) {
-			long len = base + buffer_size - begin;
-
-			assert(len < e->header.size);
-			memcpy(buf, begin, len);
-			memcpy(buf + len, base, e->header.size - len);
-			e = (void *) buf;
-			begin = base + e->header.size - len;
-		} else if (begin + e->header.size == base + buffer_size) {
-			begin = base;
-		} else {
-			begin += e->header.size;
-		}
-
-		if (e->header.type == PERF_RECORD_SAMPLE) {
-			fn(e->data, e->size);
-		} else if (e->header.type == PERF_RECORD_LOST) {
-			struct {
-				struct perf_event_header header;
-				__u64 id;
-				__u64 lost;
-			} *lost = (void *) e;
-			printf("lost %lld events\n", lost->lost);
-		} else {
-			printf("unknown event type=%d size=%d\n",
-			       e->header.type, e->header.size);
-		}
-	}
-
-	__sync_synchronize(); /* smp_mb() */
-	header->data_tail = data_head;
-}
-
 static __u64 time_get_ns(void)
 {
 	struct timespec ts;
@@ -127,7 +37,7 @@ static __u64 start_time;
 
 #define MAX_CNT 100000ll
 
-static void print_bpf_output(void *data, int size)
+static int print_bpf_output(void *data, int size)
 {
 	static __u64 cnt;
 	struct {
@@ -138,7 +48,7 @@ static void print_bpf_output(void *data, int size)
 	if (e->cookie != 0x12345678) {
 		printf("BUG pid %llx cookie %llx sized %d\n",
 		       e->pid, e->cookie, size);
-		kill(0, SIGINT);
+		return PERF_EVENT_ERROR;
 	}
 
 	cnt++;
@@ -146,8 +56,10 @@ static void print_bpf_output(void *data, int size)
 	if (cnt == MAX_CNT) {
 		printf("recv %lld events per sec\n",
 		       MAX_CNT * 1000000000ll / (time_get_ns() - start_time));
-		kill(0, SIGINT);
+		return PERF_EVENT_DONE;
 	}
+
+	return PERF_EVENT_CONT;
 }
 
 static void test_bpf_perf_event(void)
@@ -166,10 +78,18 @@ static void test_bpf_perf_event(void)
 	ioctl(pmu_fd, PERF_EVENT_IOC_ENABLE, 0);
 }
 
+static void exec_action(void)
+{
+	FILE *f;
+
+	f = popen("taskset 1 dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/null", "r");
+	(void) f;
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	char filename[256];
-	FILE *f;
+	int ret;
 
 	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s_kern.o", argv[0]);
 
@@ -180,17 +100,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	test_bpf_perf_event();
 
-	if (perf_event_mmap(pmu_fd) < 0)
-		return 1;
-
-	f = popen("taskset 1 dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/null", "r");
-	(void) f;
-
 	start_time = time_get_ns();
-	for (;;) {
-		perf_event_poll(pmu_fd);
-		perf_event_read(print_bpf_output);
-	}
-
-	return 0;
+	ret = perf_event_poller(pmu_fd, exec_action, print_bpf_output);
+	kill(0, SIGINT);
+	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/trace_helpers.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/trace_helpers.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00954e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/trace_helpers.c
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <poll.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <linux/perf_event.h>
+#include <sys/mman.h>
+#include "trace_helpers.h"
+
+#define MAX_SYMS 300000
+static struct ksym syms[MAX_SYMS];
+static int sym_cnt;
+
+static int ksym_cmp(const void *p1, const void *p2)
+{
+	return ((struct ksym *)p1)->addr - ((struct ksym *)p2)->addr;
+}
+
+int load_kallsyms(void)
+{
+	FILE *f = fopen("/proc/kallsyms", "r");
+	char func[256], buf[256];
+	char symbol;
+	void *addr;
+	int i = 0;
+
+	if (!f)
+		return -ENOENT;
+
+	while (!feof(f)) {
+		if (!fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), f))
+			break;
+		if (sscanf(buf, "%p %c %s", &addr, &symbol, func) != 3)
+			break;
+		if (!addr)
+			continue;
+		syms[i].addr = (long) addr;
+		syms[i].name = strdup(func);
+		i++;
+	}
+	sym_cnt = i;
+	qsort(syms, sym_cnt, sizeof(struct ksym), ksym_cmp);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+struct ksym *ksym_search(long key)
+{
+	int start = 0, end = sym_cnt;
+	int result;
+
+	while (start < end) {
+		size_t mid = start + (end - start) / 2;
+
+		result = key - syms[mid].addr;
+		if (result < 0)
+			end = mid;
+		else if (result > 0)
+			start = mid + 1;
+		else
+			return &syms[mid];
+	}
+
+	if (start >= 1 && syms[start - 1].addr < key &&
+	    key < syms[start].addr)
+		/* valid ksym */
+		return &syms[start - 1];
+
+	/* out of range. return _stext */
+	return &syms[0];
+}
+
+static int page_size;
+static int page_cnt = 8;
+static volatile struct perf_event_mmap_page *header;
+
+static int perf_event_mmap(int fd)
+{
+	void *base;
+	int mmap_size;
+
+	page_size = getpagesize();
+	mmap_size = page_size * (page_cnt + 1);
+
+	base = mmap(NULL, mmap_size, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
+	if (base == MAP_FAILED) {
+		printf("mmap err\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	header = base;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int perf_event_poll(int fd)
+{
+	struct pollfd pfd = { .fd = fd, .events = POLLIN };
+
+	return poll(&pfd, 1, 1000);
+}
+
+struct perf_event_sample {
+	struct perf_event_header header;
+	__u32 size;
+	char data[];
+};
+
+static int perf_event_read(perf_event_print_fn fn)
+{
+	__u64 data_tail = header->data_tail;
+	__u64 data_head = header->data_head;
+	__u64 buffer_size = page_cnt * page_size;
+	void *base, *begin, *end;
+	char buf[256];
+	int ret;
+
+	asm volatile("" ::: "memory"); /* in real code it should be smp_rmb() */
+	if (data_head == data_tail)
+		return PERF_EVENT_CONT;
+
+	base = ((char *)header) + page_size;
+
+	begin = base + data_tail % buffer_size;
+	end = base + data_head % buffer_size;
+
+	while (begin != end) {
+		struct perf_event_sample *e;
+
+		e = begin;
+		if (begin + e->header.size > base + buffer_size) {
+			long len = base + buffer_size - begin;
+
+			assert(len < e->header.size);
+			memcpy(buf, begin, len);
+			memcpy(buf + len, base, e->header.size - len);
+			e = (void *) buf;
+			begin = base + e->header.size - len;
+		} else if (begin + e->header.size == base + buffer_size) {
+			begin = base;
+		} else {
+			begin += e->header.size;
+		}
+
+		if (e->header.type == PERF_RECORD_SAMPLE) {
+			ret = fn(e->data, e->size);
+			if (ret != PERF_EVENT_CONT)
+				return ret;
+		} else if (e->header.type == PERF_RECORD_LOST) {
+			struct {
+				struct perf_event_header header;
+				__u64 id;
+				__u64 lost;
+			} *lost = (void *) e;
+			printf("lost %lld events\n", lost->lost);
+		} else {
+			printf("unknown event type=%d size=%d\n",
+			       e->header.type, e->header.size);
+		}
+	}
+
+	__sync_synchronize(); /* smp_mb() */
+	header->data_tail = data_head;
+	return PERF_EVENT_CONT;
+}
+
+int perf_event_poller(int fd, perf_event_exec_fn exec_fn,
+		      perf_event_print_fn output_fn)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	if (perf_event_mmap(fd) < 0)
+		return PERF_EVENT_ERROR;
+
+	exec_fn();
+
+	for (;;) {
+		perf_event_poll(fd);
+		ret = perf_event_read(output_fn);
+		if (ret != PERF_EVENT_CONT)
+			return ret;
+	}
+
+	return PERF_EVENT_DONE;
+}
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/trace_helpers.h b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/trace_helpers.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8750778
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/trace_helpers.h
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 */
+#ifndef __TRACE_HELPER_H
+#define __TRACE_HELPER_H
+
+struct ksym {
+	long addr;
+	char *name;
+};
+
+int load_kallsyms(void);
+struct ksym *ksym_search(long key);
+
+typedef void (*perf_event_exec_fn)(void);
+typedef int (*perf_event_print_fn)(void *data, int size);
+
+/* return code for perf_event_print_fn */
+#define PERF_EVENT_DONE		0
+#define PERF_EVENT_ERROR	1
+#define PERF_EVENT_CONT		2
+
+/* return PERF_EVENT_DONE or PERF_EVENT_ERROR */
+int perf_event_poller(int fd, perf_event_exec_fn exec_fn,
+		      perf_event_print_fn output_fn);
+#endif
