diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
index ff29c3372ec3..2921f829a0f4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
@@ -524,12 +524,14 @@ $(arch_errno_name_array): $(arch_errno_tbl)
 
 all: shell_compatibility_test $(ALL_PROGRAMS) $(LANG_BINDINGS) $(OTHER_PROGRAMS)
 
+# Create python binding output directory if not already present
+_dummy := $(shell [ -d '$(OUTPUT)python' ] || mkdir -p '$(OUTPUT)python')
+
 $(OUTPUT)python/perf.so: $(PYTHON_EXT_SRCS) $(PYTHON_EXT_DEPS) $(LIBTRACEEVENT_DYNAMIC_LIST)
 	$(QUIET_GEN)LDSHARED="$(CC) -pthread -shared" \
         CFLAGS='$(CFLAGS)' LDFLAGS='$(LDFLAGS) $(LIBTRACEEVENT_DYNAMIC_LIST_LDFLAGS)' \
 	  $(PYTHON_WORD) util/setup.py \
 	  --quiet build_ext; \
-	mkdir -p $(OUTPUT)python && \
 	cp $(PYTHON_EXTBUILD_LIB)perf*.so $(OUTPUT)python/
 
 please_set_SHELL_PATH_to_a_more_modern_shell: