diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
index dcb6143..bfd16a1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-list.c
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 #include "util/cache.h"
 #include "util/data_map.h"
 #include "util/debug.h"
-#include "util/header.h"
 #include "util/parse-options.h"
+#include "util/session.h"
 #include "util/symbol.h"
 
 static char const *input_name = "perf.data";
@@ -55,56 +55,17 @@
 static int __cmd_buildid_list(void)
 {
 	int err = -1;
-	struct perf_header *header;
-	struct perf_file_header f_header;
-	struct stat input_stat;
-	int input = open(input_name, O_RDONLY);
+	struct perf_session *session = perf_session__new(input_name, O_RDONLY, force);
 
-	if (input < 0) {
-		pr_err("failed to open file: %s", input_name);
-		if (!strcmp(input_name, "perf.data"))
-			pr_err("  (try 'perf record' first)");
-		pr_err("\n");
-		goto out;
-	}
+	if (session == NULL)
+		return -1;
 
-	err = fstat(input, &input_stat);
-	if (err < 0) {
-		perror("failed to stat file");
-		goto out_close;
-	}
-
-	if (!force && input_stat.st_uid && (input_stat.st_uid != geteuid())) {
-		pr_err("file %s not owned by current user or root\n",
-		       input_name);
-		goto out_close;
-	}
-
-	if (!input_stat.st_size) {
-		pr_info("zero-sized file, nothing to do!\n");
-		goto out_close;
-	}
-
-	err = -1;
-	header = perf_header__new();
-	if (header == NULL)
-		goto out_close;
-
-	if (perf_file_header__read(&f_header, header, input) < 0) {
-		pr_warning("incompatible file format");
-		goto out_close;
-	}
-
-	err = perf_header__process_sections(header, input,
+	err = perf_header__process_sections(&session->header, session->fd,
 				         perf_file_section__process_buildids);
+	if (err >= 0)
+		dsos__fprintf_buildid(stdout);
 
-	if (err < 0)
-		goto out_close;
-
-	dsos__fprintf_buildid(stdout);
-out_close:
-	close(input);
-out:
+	perf_session__delete(session);
 	return err;
 }