diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c b/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
index 69fa56939309..4c6ae59a4dfd 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ static struct test_workload *workloads[] = {
 	&workload__leafloop,
 	&workload__sqrtloop,
 	&workload__brstack,
+	&workload__datasym,
 };
 
 static int num_subtests(const struct test_suite *t)
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/tests.h b/tools/perf/tests/tests.h
index dc96f59cac2e..e15f24cfc909 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/tests.h
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/tests.h
@@ -205,5 +205,6 @@ DECLARE_WORKLOAD(thloop);
 DECLARE_WORKLOAD(leafloop);
 DECLARE_WORKLOAD(sqrtloop);
 DECLARE_WORKLOAD(brstack);
+DECLARE_WORKLOAD(datasym);
 
 #endif /* TESTS_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/workloads/Build b/tools/perf/tests/workloads/Build
index ae06a5538b17..a1f34d5861e3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/workloads/Build
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/workloads/Build
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ perf-y += thloop.o
 perf-y += leafloop.o
 perf-y += sqrtloop.o
 perf-y += brstack.o
+perf-y += datasym.o
 
 CFLAGS_sqrtloop.o         = -g -O0 -fno-inline -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE
 CFLAGS_leafloop.o         = -g -O0 -fno-inline -fno-omit-frame-pointer -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE
 CFLAGS_brstack.o          = -g -O0 -fno-inline -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE
+CFLAGS_datasym.o          = -g -O0 -fno-inline -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/workloads/datasym.c b/tools/perf/tests/workloads/datasym.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ddd40bc63448
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/workloads/datasym.c
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#include <linux/compiler.h>
+#include "../tests.h"
+
+typedef struct _buf {
+	char data1;
+	char reserved[55];
+	char data2;
+} buf __attribute__((aligned(64)));
+
+static buf buf1 = {
+	/* to have this in the data section */
+	.reserved[0] = 1,
+};
+
+static int datasym(int argc __maybe_unused, const char **argv __maybe_unused)
+{
+	for (;;) {
+		buf1.data1++;
+		buf1.data2 += buf1.data1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+DEFINE_WORKLOAD(datasym);