diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/core.h b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/core.h
index 2a80e4b6f819..a3f6d68edad7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/core.h
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/core.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #endif
 
 enum libperf_print_level {
+	LIBPERF_ERR,
 	LIBPERF_WARN,
 	LIBPERF_INFO,
 	LIBPERF_DEBUG,
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/internal.h b/tools/perf/lib/internal.h
index 37db745e1502..2c27e158de6b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/internal.h
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/internal.h
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 #ifndef __LIBPERF_INTERNAL_H
 #define __LIBPERF_INTERNAL_H
 
+#include <perf/core.h>
+
 void libperf_print(enum libperf_print_level level,
 		   const char *format, ...)
 	__attribute__((format(printf, 2, 3)));
@@ -11,6 +13,7 @@ do {                            \
 	libperf_print(level, "libperf: " fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__);     \
 } while (0)
 
+#define pr_err(fmt, ...)        __pr(LIBPERF_ERR, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define pr_warning(fmt, ...)    __pr(LIBPERF_WARN, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define pr_info(fmt, ...)       __pr(LIBPERF_INFO, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define pr_debug(fmt, ...)      __pr(LIBPERF_DEBUG, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)