diff --git a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
index eb75a5efcfd7..416c10f8fd2a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
@@ -1077,6 +1077,7 @@ static int parse_perf_probe_point(char *arg, struct perf_probe_event *pev)
 	struct perf_probe_point *pp = &pev->point;
 	char *ptr, *tmp;
 	char c, nc = 0;
+	bool file_spec = false;
 	/*
 	 * <Syntax>
 	 * perf probe [EVENT=]SRC[:LN|;PTN]
@@ -1105,6 +1106,23 @@ static int parse_perf_probe_point(char *arg, struct perf_probe_event *pev)
 		arg = tmp;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Check arg is function or file name and copy it.
+	 *
+	 * We consider arg to be a file spec if and only if it satisfies
+	 * all of the below criteria::
+	 * - it does not include any of "+@%",
+	 * - it includes one of ":;", and
+	 * - it has a period '.' in the name.
+	 *
+	 * Otherwise, we consider arg to be a function specification.
+	 */
+	if (!strpbrk(arg, "+@%") && (ptr = strpbrk(arg, ";:")) != NULL) {
+		/* This is a file spec if it includes a '.' before ; or : */
+		if (memchr(arg, '.', ptr - arg))
+			file_spec = true;
+	}
+
 	ptr = strpbrk(arg, ";:+@%");
 	if (ptr) {
 		nc = *ptr;
@@ -1115,10 +1133,9 @@ static int parse_perf_probe_point(char *arg, struct perf_probe_event *pev)
 	if (tmp == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	/* Check arg is function or file and copy it */
-	if (strchr(tmp, '.'))	/* File */
+	if (file_spec)
 		pp->file = tmp;
-	else			/* Function */
+	else
 		pp->function = tmp;
 
 	/* Parse other options */
@@ -2265,6 +2282,9 @@ static int get_new_event_name(char *buf, size_t len, const char *base,
 {
 	int i, ret;
 
+	if (*base == '.')
+		base++;
+
 	/* Try no suffix */
 	ret = e_snprintf(buf, len, "%s", base);
 	if (ret < 0) {
@@ -2766,6 +2786,9 @@ int del_perf_probe_events(struct strlist *dellist)
 			event = str;
 		}
 
+		if (event && *event == '.')
+			event++;
+
 		ret = e_snprintf(buf, 128, "%s:%s", group, event);
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			pr_err("Failed to copy event.");