diff --git a/src/parsers/perf/perfparser.cpp b/src/parsers/perf/perfparser.cpp
index f5efdd569..5fa8c3f6b 100644
--- a/src/parsers/perf/perfparser.cpp
+++ b/src/parsers/perf/perfparser.cpp
@@ -1475,6 +1475,7 @@ PerfParser::~PerfParser() = default;
 
 bool PerfParser::initParserArgs(const QString& path)
 {
+    // check for common file issues
     const auto info = QFileInfo(path);
     if (!info.exists()) {
         emit parsingFailed(tr("File '%1' does not exist.").arg(path));
@@ -1489,6 +1490,22 @@ bool PerfParser::initParserArgs(const QString& path)
         return false;
     }
 
+    // peek into file header
+    const auto filename = decompressIfNeeded(path);
+    QFile file(filename);
+    file.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly);
+    if (file.peek(8) != "PERFILE2" && file.peek(11) != "QPERFSTREAM") {
+        if (file.peek(8) == "PERFFILE") {
+            emit parsingFailed(tr("Failed to parse file %1: %2").arg(path, tr("Unsupported V1 perf data")));
+        } else {
+            emit parsingFailed(tr("Failed to parse file %1: %2").arg(path, tr("File format unknown")));
+        }
+        file.close();
+        return false;
+    }
+    file.close();
+
+    // check perfparser and set initial values
     auto parserBinary = Util::perfParserBinaryPath();
     if (parserBinary.isEmpty()) {
         emit parsingFailed(tr("Failed to find hotspot-perfparser binary."));
@@ -1497,8 +1514,8 @@ bool PerfParser::initParserArgs(const QString& path)
 
     auto parserArgs = [this](const QString& filename) {
         const auto settings = Settings::instance();
-        QStringList parserArgs = {QStringLiteral("--input"), decompressIfNeeded(filename),
-                                  QStringLiteral("--max-frames"), QStringLiteral("1024")};
+        QStringList parserArgs = {QStringLiteral("--input"), filename, QStringLiteral("--max-frames"),
+                                  QStringLiteral("1024")};
         const auto sysroot = settings->sysroot();
         if (!sysroot.isEmpty()) {
             parserArgs += {QStringLiteral("--sysroot"), sysroot};
@@ -1530,7 +1547,7 @@ bool PerfParser::initParserArgs(const QString& path)
         return parserArgs;
     };
 
-    m_parserArgs = parserArgs(path);
+    m_parserArgs = parserArgs(filename);
     m_parserBinary = parserBinary;
     return true;
 }
@@ -1583,22 +1600,23 @@ void PerfParser::startParseFile(const QString& path)
             emit parsingFinished();
         };
 
-        if (path.endsWith(QLatin1String(".perfparser"))) {
-            QFile file(path);
-            if (!file.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly)) {
-                emit parsingFailed(tr("Failed to open file %1: %2").arg(path, file.errorString()));
-                return;
-            }
+        // note: file is always readable and in supported format here,
+        //        already validated in initParserArgs()
+        QFile file(path);
+        file.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly);
+        if (file.peek(11) == "QPERFSTREAM") {
             d.setInput(&file);
             while (!file.atEnd() && !d.stopRequested) {
                 if (!d.tryParse()) {
-                    emit parsingFailed(tr("Failed to parse file"));
+                    // TODO: provide reason
+                    emit parsingFailed(tr("Failed to parse file %1: %2").arg(path, QStringLiteral("Unknown reason")));
                     return;
                 }
             }
             finalize();
             return;
         }
+        file.close();
 
         QProcess process;
         process.setProcessEnvironment(perfparserEnvironment(debuginfodUrls));
diff --git a/tests/integrationtests/tst_perfparser.cpp b/tests/integrationtests/tst_perfparser.cpp
index d8c2a6874..d2e6da642 100644
--- a/tests/integrationtests/tst_perfparser.cpp
+++ b/tests/integrationtests/tst_perfparser.cpp
@@ -227,23 +227,36 @@ private slots:
         QCOMPARE(parsingFailedSpy.count(), 0);
         QCOMPARE(parsingFinishedSpy.count(), 1);
 
-        // check for invalid data -> expected error
+        // check pre-exported perfparser with "bad extension"
+        const auto shell = QStandardPaths::findExecutable(QStringLiteral("bash"));
+        if (!shell.isEmpty()) {
+            const auto perfDataSomeName = QStringLiteral("fruitper");
+            QProcess::execute(shell,
+                              {QStringLiteral("-c"), QLatin1String("cp -f %1 %2").arg(perfData, perfDataSomeName)});
+
+            parser.startParseFile(perfDataSomeName);
+            QVERIFY(parsingFinishedSpy.wait(2000));
+            QCOMPARE(parsingFailedSpy.count(), 0);
+            QCOMPARE(parsingFinishedSpy.count(), 2);
+        }
+
+        // check for unexpected (here: no) file magic -> expected error
         const auto noPerf = QFINDTESTDATA("tst_perfparser.cpp");
         QVERIFY(!noPerf.isEmpty() && QFile::exists(noPerf));
         parser.startParseFile(noPerf);
-        QVERIFY(parsingFailedSpy.wait(1000));
         QCOMPARE(parsingFailedSpy.count(), 1);
         message = qvariant_cast<QString>(parsingFailedSpy.takeFirst().at(0));
-        QVERIFY(message.contains(QLatin1String("invalid perf data file")));
+        QVERIFY(message.contains(noPerf));
+        QVERIFY(message.contains(QLatin1String("File format unknown")));
 
         // check for PERFv1 -> expected error
         const auto perf1 = QFINDTESTDATA("file_content/perf.data.true.v1");
         QVERIFY(!perf1.isEmpty() && QFile::exists(perf1));
         parser.startParseFile(perf1);
-        QVERIFY(parsingFailedSpy.wait(1000));
         QCOMPARE(parsingFailedSpy.count(), 1);
         message = qvariant_cast<QString>(parsingFailedSpy.takeFirst().at(0));
-        QVERIFY(message.contains(QLatin1String("invalid perf data file")));
+        QVERIFY(message.contains(perf1));
+        QVERIFY(message.contains(QLatin1String("V1 perf data")));
 
         // check for PERFv2
         const auto perf2 = QFINDTESTDATA("file_content/perf.data.true.v2");
@@ -253,7 +266,7 @@ private slots:
             8000)); // FIXME: this waittime and the one below must be so high as unavailable elf files are checked
                     // again and again via PerfSymbolTable::registerElf, as seen in the output
         QCOMPARE(parsingFailedSpy.count(), 0);
-        QCOMPARE(parsingFinishedSpy.count(), 2);
+        QCOMPARE(parsingFinishedSpy.count(), 3);
 
 #if KFArchive_FOUND
         // check for PERFv2, gzipped
@@ -262,7 +275,7 @@ private slots:
         parser.startParseFile(perf2gz);
         QVERIFY(parsingFinishedSpy.wait(9000));
         QCOMPARE(parsingFailedSpy.count(), 0);
-        QCOMPARE(parsingFinishedSpy.count(), 3);
+        QCOMPARE(parsingFinishedSpy.count(), 4);
 #endif
     }