diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
index 460a4ce9c044..ef9fc15fbfbf 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ struct vcpu_event_record *per_vcpu_record(struct thread *thread,
 					  struct perf_sample *sample)
 {
 	/* Only kvm_entry records vcpu id. */
-	if (!thread->priv && kvm_entry_event(evsel)) {
+	if (!thread__priv(thread) && kvm_entry_event(evsel)) {
 		struct vcpu_event_record *vcpu_record;
 
 		vcpu_record = zalloc(sizeof(*vcpu_record));
@@ -386,10 +386,10 @@ struct vcpu_event_record *per_vcpu_record(struct thread *thread,
 		}
 
 		vcpu_record->vcpu_id = perf_evsel__intval(evsel, sample, VCPU_ID);
-		thread->priv = vcpu_record;
+		thread__set_priv(thread, vcpu_record);
 	}
 
-	return thread->priv;
+	return thread__priv(thread);
 }
 
 static bool handle_kvm_event(struct perf_kvm_stat *kvm,