diff --git a/src/env_vars.ml b/src/env_vars.ml
index 6fbdf9b82..68c83a61c 100644
--- a/src/env_vars.ml
+++ b/src/env_vars.ml
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ open Async
    files around. *)
 let perfetto_dir = Unix.getenv "MAGIC_TRACE_PERFETTO_DIR"
 
+(** Override which [perf] to use. If this isn't set, magic-trace will use whatever's first
+    in $PATH. *)
+let perf_path = Option.value ~default:"perf" (Unix.getenv "MAGIC_TRACE_PERF_PATH")
+
 (* Whether [perf] should be considered privileged when running as not-root. Bypasses error
    checks around kernel tracing when not root. *)
 let perf_is_privileged = Option.is_some (Unix.getenv "MAGIC_TRACE_PERF_IS_PRIVILEGED")
diff --git a/src/env_vars.mli b/src/env_vars.mli
index a51d80c32..9bf742f65 100644
--- a/src/env_vars.mli
+++ b/src/env_vars.mli
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ open! Core
 
 val debug : bool
 val experimental : bool
+val perf_path : string
 val perf_is_privileged : bool
 val perfetto_dir : string option
 val no_dlfilter : bool
diff --git a/src/perf_capabilities.ml b/src/perf_capabilities.ml
index ae444b7b0..ccbb995d2 100644
--- a/src/perf_capabilities.ml
+++ b/src/perf_capabilities.ml
@@ -100,7 +100,9 @@ let supports_snapshot_on_exit = kernel_version_at_least ~major:5 ~minor:4
 let supports_dlfilter = kernel_version_at_least ~major:5 ~minor:14
 
 let detect_exn () =
-  let%bind perf_version_proc = Process.create_exn ~prog:"perf" ~args:[ "--version" ] () in
+  let%bind perf_version_proc =
+    Process.create_exn ~prog:Env_vars.perf_path ~args:[ "--version" ] ()
+  in
   let%map version_string = Reader.contents (Process.stdout perf_version_proc) in
   let version = Version.of_perf_version_string_exn version_string in
   let set_if bool flag cap = cap + if bool then flag else empty in
diff --git a/src/perf_tool_backend.ml b/src/perf_tool_backend.ml
index 11acbd12a..a3de02488 100644
--- a/src/perf_tool_backend.ml
+++ b/src/perf_tool_backend.ml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ open! Async
    parent process alive even though it just failed. That, in turn, makes magic-trace stop
    responding to Ctrl+C. *)
 let perf_env = `Extend [ "PAGER", "cat" ]
+let perf = Env_vars.perf_path
 
 module Record_opts = struct
   type t =
@@ -377,7 +378,7 @@ module Recording = struct
     in
     let argv =
       List.concat
-        [ [ "perf"; "record"; "-o"; record_dir ^/ "perf.data"; "--timestamp" ]
+        [ [ perf; "record"; "-o"; record_dir ^/ "perf.data"; "--timestamp" ]
         ; event_opts
         ; overwrite_opts
         ; switch_opts
@@ -391,7 +392,7 @@ module Recording = struct
     in
     if debug_print_perf_commands then Core.printf "%s\n%!" (String.concat ~sep:" " argv);
     (* Perf prints output we don't care about and --quiet doesn't work for some reason *)
-    let perf_pid = perf_fork_exec ~env:perf_env ~prog:"perf" ~argv () in
+    let perf_pid = perf_fork_exec ~env:perf_env ~prog:perf ~argv () in
     (* This detaches the perf process from our "process group" but not our session. This
        makes it so that when Ctrl-C is sent to magic_trace in the terminal to end an attach
        session, it doesn't also send SIGINT to the perf process, allowing us to send it a
@@ -508,11 +509,11 @@ let decode_events
           ]
       in
       if debug_print_perf_commands
-      then Core.printf "perf %s\n%!" (String.concat ~sep:" " args);
+      then Core.printf "%s %s\n%!" perf (String.concat ~sep:" " args);
       (* CR-someday tbrindus: this should be switched over to using
          [perf_fork_exec] to avoid the [perf script] process from outliving
          the parent. *)
-      let%map perf_script_proc = Process.create_exn ~env:perf_env ~prog:"perf" ~args () in
+      let%map perf_script_proc = Process.create_exn ~env:perf_env ~prog:perf ~args () in
       let line_pipe = Process.stdout perf_script_proc |> Reader.lines in
       don't_wait_for
         (Reader.transfer
diff --git a/src/trace.ml b/src/trace.ml
index 92a68f83f..fd406fa3c 100644
--- a/src/trace.ml
+++ b/src/trace.ml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ let supports_command command =
 ;;
 
 let supports_fzf = supports_command "fzf"
-let supports_perf = supports_command "perf"
+let supports_perf = supports_command Env_vars.perf_path
 
 let check_for_perf () =
   if force supports_perf