diff --git a/meta/classes/kernel.bbclass b/meta/classes/kernel.bbclass
index 10e5c2a571..4c79a98039 100644
--- a/meta/classes/kernel.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/kernel.bbclass
@@ -501,3 +501,8 @@ do_deploy() {
 do_deploy[dirs] = "${DEPLOYDIR} ${B}"
 
 addtask deploy before do_package after do_install
+
+# perf must be enabled in individual kernel recipes
+PACKAGES =+ "perf"
+FILES_perf = "${bindir}/* \
+              ${libexecdir}"
diff --git a/meta/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-wrs_git.bb b/meta/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-wrs_git.bb
index 4f134d4d88..2978ed95cb 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-wrs_git.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-wrs_git.bb
@@ -126,14 +126,6 @@ addtask wrlinux_configcheck after do_configure before do_compile
 
 inherit kernel
 
-# perf subpackage variables
-PROVIDES += perf
-
-PACKAGES =+ "perf"
-FILES_perf = "${bindir}/* \
-              ${libexecdir}"
-
-
 # perf tasks
 addtask compile_perf after do_compile before do_install
 addtask install_perf after do_install before do_package do_deploy