diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c b/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c
index 14f787c67140..fbbed434014f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "../perf.h"
 #include "pmu.h"
 #include "pmu-hybrid.h"
+#include "string2.h"
 
 struct c2c_hists {
 	struct hists		hists;
@@ -3025,9 +3026,9 @@ int cmd_c2c(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (!argc)
 		usage_with_options(c2c_usage, c2c_options);
 
-	if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rec", 3)) {
+	if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[0])) {
 		return perf_c2c__record(argc, argv);
-	} else if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rep", 3)) {
+	} else if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("report", argv[0])) {
 		return perf_c2c__report(argc, argv);
 	} else {
 		usage_with_options(c2c_usage, c2c_options);
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
index 99d7ff9a8eff..ebfab2ca1702 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
@@ -1946,7 +1946,7 @@ int cmd_kmem(int argc, const char **argv)
 			kmem_page = 1;
 	}
 
-	if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rec", 3)) {
+	if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[0])) {
 		symbol__init(NULL);
 		return __cmd_record(argc, argv);
 	}
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
index b23a1f3eaeda..2fa687f73e5e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "util/ordered-events.h"
 #include "util/kvm-stat.h"
 #include "ui/ui.h"
+#include "util/string2.h"
 
 #include <sys/prctl.h>
 #ifdef HAVE_TIMERFD_SUPPORT
@@ -1500,10 +1501,10 @@ static int kvm_cmd_stat(const char *file_name, int argc, const char **argv)
 		goto perf_stat;
 	}
 
-	if (!strncmp(argv[1], "rec", 3))
+	if (strlen(argv[1]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[1]))
 		return kvm_events_record(&kvm, argc - 1, argv + 1);
 
-	if (!strncmp(argv[1], "rep", 3))
+	if (strlen(argv[1]) > 2 && strstarts("report", argv[1]))
 		return kvm_events_report(&kvm, argc - 1 , argv + 1);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_TIMERFD_SUPPORT
@@ -1631,9 +1632,9 @@ int cmd_kvm(int argc, const char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rec", 3))
+	if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[0]))
 		return __cmd_record(file_name, argc, argv);
-	else if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rep", 3))
+	else if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("report", argv[0]))
 		return __cmd_report(file_name, argc, argv);
 	else if (!strncmp(argv[0], "diff", 4))
 		return cmd_diff(argc, argv);
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c b/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
index a7089760a7de..cdfe1d4ced4b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "util/session.h"
 #include "util/tool.h"
 #include "util/data.h"
+#include "util/string2.h"
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/prctl.h>
@@ -1166,9 +1167,9 @@ int cmd_lock(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (!argc)
 		usage_with_options(lock_usage, lock_options);
 
-	if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rec", 3)) {
+	if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[0])) {
 		return __cmd_record(argc, argv);
-	} else if (!strncmp(argv[0], "report", 6)) {
+	} else if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("report", argv[0])) {
 		trace_handler = &report_lock_ops;
 		if (argc) {
 			argc = parse_options(argc, argv,
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c b/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c
index fcf65a59bea2..9e435fd23503 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "util/symbol.h"
 #include "util/pmu.h"
 #include "util/pmu-hybrid.h"
+#include "util/string2.h"
 #include <linux/err.h>
 
 #define MEM_OPERATION_LOAD	0x1
@@ -496,9 +497,9 @@ int cmd_mem(int argc, const char **argv)
 			mem.input_name = "perf.data";
 	}
 
-	if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rec", 3))
+	if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[0]))
 		return __cmd_record(argc, argv, &mem);
-	else if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rep", 3))
+	else if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("report", argv[0]))
 		return report_events(argc, argv, &mem);
 	else
 		usage_with_options(mem_usage, mem_options);
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
index 72d446de9c60..646bd938927a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
@@ -3561,7 +3561,7 @@ int cmd_sched(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (!strcmp(argv[0], "script"))
 		return cmd_script(argc, argv);
 
-	if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rec", 3)) {
+	if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[0])) {
 		return __cmd_record(argc, argv);
 	} else if (!strncmp(argv[0], "lat", 3)) {
 		sched.tp_handler = &lat_ops;
@@ -3581,7 +3581,7 @@ int cmd_sched(int argc, const char **argv)
 		sched.tp_handler = &map_ops;
 		setup_sorting(&sched, latency_options, latency_usage);
 		return perf_sched__map(&sched);
-	} else if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rep", 3)) {
+	} else if (strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("replay", argv[0])) {
 		sched.tp_handler = &replay_ops;
 		if (argc) {
 			argc = parse_options(argc, argv, replay_options, replay_usage, 0);
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
index f12dc5ed354d..a2f117936188 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
@@ -3922,13 +3922,13 @@ int cmd_script(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (symbol__validate_sym_arguments())
 		return -1;
 
-	if (argc > 1 && !strncmp(argv[0], "rec", strlen("rec"))) {
+	if (argc > 1 && strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[0])) {
 		rec_script_path = get_script_path(argv[1], RECORD_SUFFIX);
 		if (!rec_script_path)
 			return cmd_record(argc, argv);
 	}
 
-	if (argc > 1 && !strncmp(argv[0], "rep", strlen("rep"))) {
+	if (argc > 1 && strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("report", argv[0])) {
 		rep_script_path = get_script_path(argv[1], REPORT_SUFFIX);
 		if (!rep_script_path) {
 			fprintf(stderr,
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index 60baa3dadc4b..4ee40de698a4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -2271,11 +2271,11 @@ int cmd_stat(int argc, const char **argv)
 	} else
 		stat_config.csv_sep = DEFAULT_SEPARATOR;
 
-	if (argc && !strncmp(argv[0], "rec", 3)) {
+	if (argc && strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[0])) {
 		argc = __cmd_record(argc, argv);
 		if (argc < 0)
 			return -1;
-	} else if (argc && !strncmp(argv[0], "rep", 3))
+	} else if (argc && strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("report", argv[0]))
 		return __cmd_report(argc, argv);
 
 	interval = stat_config.interval;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
index 43bf4d67edb0..afce731cec16 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "util/tool.h"
 #include "util/data.h"
 #include "util/debug.h"
+#include "util/string2.h"
 #include <linux/err.h>
 
 #ifdef LACKS_OPEN_MEMSTREAM_PROTOTYPE
@@ -1983,7 +1984,7 @@ int cmd_timechart(int argc, const char **argv)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (argc && !strncmp(argv[0], "rec", 3)) {
+	if (argc && strlen(argv[0]) > 2 && strstarts("record", argv[0])) {
 		argc = parse_options(argc, argv, timechart_record_options,
 				     timechart_record_usage,
 				     PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION);