diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index 3a1c031aff9ad049..49d99c20b7f711ef 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -112,10 +112,9 @@ struct syscall_arg_fmt {
 	u16	   nr_entries; // for arrays
 	bool	   show_zero;
 	bool	   is_enum;
-	struct {
-		void	*entry;
-		u16	nr_entries;
-	}	   btf_entry;
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBBPF_SUPPORT
+	const struct btf_type *type;
+#endif
 };
 
 struct syscall_fmt {
@@ -146,7 +145,9 @@ struct trace {
 #ifdef HAVE_BPF_SKEL
 	struct augmented_raw_syscalls_bpf *skel;
 #endif
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBBPF_SUPPORT
 	struct btf		*btf;
+#endif
 	struct record_opts	opts;
 	struct evlist	*evlist;
 	struct machine		*host;
@@ -894,47 +895,32 @@ static size_t syscall_arg__scnprintf_getrandom_flags(char *bf, size_t size,
 
 #define SCA_GETRANDOM_FLAGS syscall_arg__scnprintf_getrandom_flags
 
-static int btf_enum_find_entry(struct btf *btf, char *type, struct syscall_arg_fmt *arg_fmt)
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBBPF_SUPPORT
+static int syscall_arg_fmt__cache_btf_enum(struct syscall_arg_fmt *arg_fmt, struct btf *btf, char *type)
 {
-	const struct btf_type *bt;
-	char enum_prefix[][16] = { "enum", "const enum" }, *ep;
 	int id;
-	size_t i;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(enum_prefix); i++) {
-		ep = enum_prefix[i];
-		if (strlen(type) > strlen(ep) + 1 && strstarts(type, ep))
-			type += strlen(ep) + 1;
-	}
+	type = strstr(type, "enum ");
+	if (type == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	type += 5; // skip "enum " to get the enumeration name
 
 	id = btf__find_by_name(btf, type);
 	if (id < 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	bt = btf__type_by_id(btf, id);
-	if (bt == NULL)
-		return -1;
-
-	arg_fmt->btf_entry.entry      = btf_enum(bt);
-	arg_fmt->btf_entry.nr_entries = btf_vlen(bt);
-
-	return 0;
+	arg_fmt->type = btf__type_by_id(btf, id);
+	return arg_fmt->type == NULL ? -1 : 0;
 }
 
-static size_t btf_enum_scnprintf(char *bf, size_t size, int val, struct btf *btf, char *type,
-				 struct syscall_arg_fmt *arg_fmt)
-{
-	struct btf_enum *be;
-	int i;
-
-	/* if btf_entry is NULL, find and save it to arg_fmt */
-	if (arg_fmt->btf_entry.entry == NULL)
-		if (btf_enum_find_entry(btf, type, arg_fmt))
-			return 0;
 
-	be = (struct btf_enum *)arg_fmt->btf_entry.entry;
+static size_t btf_enum_scnprintf(const struct btf_type *type, struct btf *btf, char *bf, size_t size, int val)
+{
+	struct btf_enum *be = btf_enum(type);
+	const int nr_entries = btf_vlen(type);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < arg_fmt->btf_entry.nr_entries; ++i, ++be) {
+	for (int i = 0; i < nr_entries; ++i, ++be) {
 		if (be->val == val) {
 			return scnprintf(bf, size, "%s",
 					 btf__name_by_offset(btf, be->name_off));
@@ -944,6 +930,27 @@ static size_t btf_enum_scnprintf(char *bf, size_t size, int val, struct btf *btf
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static size_t trace__btf_enum_scnprintf(struct trace *trace, struct syscall_arg_fmt *arg_fmt, char *bf,
+					size_t size, int val, char *type)
+{
+	if (trace->btf == NULL)
+		return 0;
+	/* if btf_entry is NULL, find and save it to arg_fmt */
+	if (arg_fmt->type == NULL &&
+	    syscall_arg_fmt__cache_btf_enum(arg_fmt, trace->btf, type) < 0)
+		return 0;
+
+	return btf_enum_scnprintf(arg_fmt->type, trace->btf, bf, size, val);
+}
+#else // HAVE_LIBBPF_SUPPORT
+static size_t trace__btf_enum_scnprintf(struct trace *trace __maybe_unused, struct syscall_arg_fmt *arg_fmt __maybe_unused,
+					char *bf __maybe_unused, size_t size __maybe_unused, int val __maybe_unused,
+					char *type __maybe_unused)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif // HAVE_LIBBPF_SUPPORT
+
 #define STRARRAY(name, array) \
 	  { .scnprintf	= SCA_STRARRAY, \
 	    .strtoul	= STUL_STRARRAY, \
@@ -1757,13 +1764,18 @@ static void trace__symbols__exit(struct trace *trace)
 	symbol__exit();
 }
 
-static void trace__load_vmlinux_btf(struct trace *trace)
+static void trace__load_vmlinux_btf(struct trace *trace __maybe_unused)
 {
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBBPF_SUPPORT
+	if (trace->btf != NULL)
+		return;
+
 	trace->btf = btf__load_vmlinux_btf();
 	if (verbose > 0) {
 		fprintf(trace->output, trace->btf ? "vmlinux BTF loaded\n" :
 						    "Failed to load vmlinux BTF\n");
 	}
+#endif
 }
 
 static int syscall__alloc_arg_fmts(struct syscall *sc, int nr_args)
@@ -1959,7 +1971,7 @@ static int trace__read_syscall_info(struct trace *trace, int id)
 	err = syscall__set_arg_fmts(sc);
 
 	/* after calling syscall__set_arg_fmts() we'll know whether use_btf is true */
-	if (sc->use_btf && trace->btf == NULL)
+	if (sc->use_btf)
 		trace__load_vmlinux_btf(trace);
 
 	return err;
@@ -2182,10 +2194,9 @@ static size_t syscall__scnprintf_args(struct syscall *sc, char *bf, size_t size,
 			if (trace->show_arg_names)
 				printed += scnprintf(bf + printed, size - printed, "%s: ", field->name);
 
-			if (sc->arg_fmt[arg.idx].is_enum && trace->btf) {
-				size_t p = btf_enum_scnprintf(bf + printed, size - printed, val,
-							      trace->btf, field->type,
-							      &sc->arg_fmt[arg.idx]);
+			if (sc->arg_fmt[arg.idx].is_enum) {
+				size_t p = trace__btf_enum_scnprintf(trace, &sc->arg_fmt[arg.idx], bf + printed,
+								     size - printed, val, field->type);
 				if (p) {
 					printed += p;
 					continue;