diff --git a/perf/reader.go b/perf/reader.go
index 05ad5ef22..0b46f8fc2 100644
--- a/perf/reader.go
+++ b/perf/reader.go
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ func (pr *Reader) ReadInto(rec *Record) error {
 			pr.pauseMu.Unlock()
 			_, err := pr.poller.Wait(events, pr.deadline)
 			pr.pauseMu.Lock()
-			if err != nil {
+			if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrDeadlineExceeded) {
 				return err
 			}
 
@@ -374,6 +374,11 @@ func (pr *Reader) ReadInto(rec *Record) error {
 					pr.epollRings = append(pr.epollRings, ring)
 				}
 			}
+
+			if len(pr.epollRings) == 0 {
+				// Woken up but no data, deadline exceeded.
+				return fmt.Errorf("read: %w", os.ErrDeadlineExceeded)
+			}
 		}
 
 		// Start at the last available event. The order in which we
diff --git a/perf/reader_test.go b/perf/reader_test.go
index bb2988ac4..f2421fd55 100644
--- a/perf/reader_test.go
+++ b/perf/reader_test.go
@@ -531,6 +531,27 @@ func TestPerfReaderWakeupEvents(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestReadWithoutWakeup(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	events := perfEventArray(t)
+
+	rd, err := NewReaderWithOptions(events, 1, ReaderOptions{WakeupEvents: 2})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer rd.Close()
+
+	prog := outputSamplesProg(t, events, 5)
+	ret, _, err := prog.Test(internal.EmptyBPFContext)
+	testutils.SkipIfNotSupported(t, err)
+	qt.Assert(t, qt.IsNil(err))
+	qt.Assert(t, qt.Equals(ret, 0))
+
+	rd.SetDeadline(time.Now())
+	checkRecord(t, rd)
+}
+
 func BenchmarkReader(b *testing.B) {
 	events := perfEventArray(b)
 	prog := outputSamplesProg(b, events, 80)