diff --git a/meta/recipes-kernel/perf/perf.bb b/meta/recipes-kernel/perf/perf.bb
index f24b44954e..c3ef25fd99 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-kernel/perf/perf.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-kernel/perf/perf.bb
@@ -169,6 +169,9 @@ PERF_EXTRA_LDFLAGS:mipsarchn32el = "-m elf32ltsmipn32"
 PERF_EXTRA_LDFLAGS:mipsarchn64eb = "-m elf64btsmip"
 PERF_EXTRA_LDFLAGS:mipsarchn64el = "-m elf64ltsmip"
 
+# override for older kernels which don't support installing headers for all libraries
+REPRODUCIBLE_HEADERS_TARGETS ?= "api bpf perf subcmd symbol"
+
 do_compile() {
 	# Linux kernel build system is expected to do the right thing
 	unset CFLAGS
@@ -179,7 +182,7 @@ do_compile() {
 	# There are two copies of internal headers such as:
 	# libperf/include/internal/xyarray.h and tools/lib/perf/include/internal/xyarray.h
 	# For reproducibile binaries, we need to find one copy, hence force libXXX to be created first
-	for i in api bpf subcmd symbol perf
+	for i in ${REPRODUCIBLE_HEADERS_TARGETS}
 	do
 		oe_runmake -C ${S}/tools/lib/$i DESTDIR=${B}/lib$i prefix= install_headers V=1
 	done