diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.c b/tools/perf/util/util.c
index 9a06584..6d17b18 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.c
@@ -328,3 +328,36 @@
 {
 	free(file);
 }
+
+int parse_nsec_time(const char *str, u64 *ptime)
+{
+	u64 time_sec, time_nsec;
+	char *end;
+
+	time_sec = strtoul(str, &end, 10);
+	if (*end != '.' && *end != '\0')
+		return -1;
+
+	if (*end == '.') {
+		int i;
+		char nsec_buf[10];
+
+		if (strlen(++end) > 9)
+			return -1;
+
+		strncpy(nsec_buf, end, 9);
+		nsec_buf[9] = '\0';
+
+		/* make it nsec precision */
+		for (i = strlen(nsec_buf); i < 9; i++)
+			nsec_buf[i] = '0';
+
+		time_nsec = strtoul(nsec_buf, &end, 10);
+		if (*end != '\0')
+			return -1;
+	} else
+		time_nsec = 0;
+
+	*ptime = time_sec * NSEC_PER_SEC + time_nsec;
+	return 0;
+}