diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile b/tools/perf/Makefile
index dcb9700b88d2..4f1fa77c1feb 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ endif
 # The default target of this Makefile is...
 all::
 
+ifneq ($(OUTPUT),)
+# check that the output directory actually exists
+OUTDIR := $(shell cd $(OUTPUT) && /bin/pwd)
+$(if $(OUTDIR),, $(error output directory "$(OUTPUT)" does not exist))
+endif
+
 # Define V=1 to have a more verbose compile.
 # Define V=2 to have an even more verbose compile.
 #
@@ -931,15 +937,15 @@ $(OUTPUT)common-cmds.h: $(wildcard Documentation/perf-*.txt)
 	$(QUIET_GEN). util/generate-cmdlist.sh > $@+ && mv $@+ $@
 
 $(patsubst %.sh,%,$(SCRIPT_SH)) : % : %.sh
-	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@ $@+ && \
+	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $(OUTPUT)$@ $(OUTPUT)$@+ && \
 	sed -e '1s|#!.*/sh|#!$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)|' \
 	    -e 's|@SHELL_PATH@|$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)|' \
 	    -e 's|@@PERL@@|$(PERL_PATH_SQ)|g' \
 	    -e 's/@@PERF_VERSION@@/$(PERF_VERSION)/g' \
 	    -e 's/@@NO_CURL@@/$(NO_CURL)/g' \
-	    $@.sh >$@+ && \
-	chmod +x $@+ && \
-	mv $@+ $(OUTPUT)$@
+	    $@.sh > $(OUTPUT)$@+ && \
+	chmod +x $(OUTPUT)$@+ && \
+	mv $(OUTPUT)$@+ $(OUTPUT)$@
 
 configure: configure.ac
 	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@ $<+ && \
diff --git a/tools/perf/feature-tests.mak b/tools/perf/feature-tests.mak
index ddb68e601f0e..7a7b60859053 100644
--- a/tools/perf/feature-tests.mak
+++ b/tools/perf/feature-tests.mak
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ endef
 # try-cc
 # Usage: option = $(call try-cc, source-to-build, cc-options)
 try-cc = $(shell sh -c						  \
-	'TMP="$(TMPOUT).$$$$";			 		  \
+	'TMP="$(OUTPUT)$(TMPOUT).$$$$";				  \
 	 echo "$(1)" |						  \
 	 $(CC) -x c - $(2) -o "$$TMP" > /dev/null 2>&1 && echo y; \
 	 rm -f "$$TMP"')