diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index cfbe2b99b9aa..bb5dfc5d1e75 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  */
 #include "util.h"
 #include <api/fs/debugfs.h>
+#include <api/fs/fs.h>
 #include <poll.h>
 #include "cpumap.h"
 #include "thread_map.h"
@@ -1483,6 +1484,28 @@ int perf_evlist__strerror_open(struct perf_evlist *evlist __maybe_unused,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int perf_evlist__strerror_mmap(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int err, char *buf, size_t size)
+{
+	char sbuf[STRERR_BUFSIZE], *emsg = strerror_r(err, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf));
+	int value;
+
+	switch (err) {
+	case EPERM:
+		sysctl__read_int("kernel/perf_event_mlock_kb", &value);
+		scnprintf(buf, size, "Error:\t%s.\n"
+				     "Hint:\tCheck /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_mlock_kb (%d kB) setting.\n"
+				     "Hint:\tTried using %zd kB.\n"
+				     "Hint:\tTry using a bigger -m/--mmap-pages value.",
+				     emsg, value, evlist->mmap_len / 1024);
+		break;
+	default:
+		scnprintf(buf, size, "%s", emsg);
+		break;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 void perf_evlist__to_front(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 			   struct perf_evsel *move_evsel)
 {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index 649b0c597283..0ba93f67ab94 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ size_t perf_evlist__fprintf(struct perf_evlist *evlist, FILE *fp);
 
 int perf_evlist__strerror_tp(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int err, char *buf, size_t size);
 int perf_evlist__strerror_open(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int err, char *buf, size_t size);
+int perf_evlist__strerror_mmap(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int err, char *buf, size_t size);
 
 static inline unsigned int perf_mmap__read_head(struct perf_mmap *mm)
 {