diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index 6b58a47a79ecf6789c41687607e73c0317e757d6..8366511b45f8327a65dc44e80544f6b08e0df24a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -297,6 +297,8 @@ void perf_evlist__disable(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 				      PERF_EVENT_IOC_DISABLE, 0);
 		}
 	}
+
+	evlist->enabled = false;
 }
 
 void perf_evlist__enable(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
@@ -316,6 +318,13 @@ void perf_evlist__enable(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 				      PERF_EVENT_IOC_ENABLE, 0);
 		}
 	}
+
+	evlist->enabled = true;
+}
+
+void perf_evlist__toggle_enable(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
+{
+	(evlist->enabled ? perf_evlist__disable : perf_evlist__enable)(evlist);
 }
 
 int perf_evlist__disable_event(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index 955bf31b7dd3f2ba64b64945abcb9c719cff50b7..a8489b9d2812baecf1ba4709ff3b6da9787adda0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ struct perf_evlist {
 	int		 nr_groups;
 	int		 nr_mmaps;
 	bool		 overwrite;
+	bool		 enabled;
 	size_t		 mmap_len;
 	int		 id_pos;
 	int		 is_pos;
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ void perf_evlist__munmap(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 
 void perf_evlist__disable(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 void perf_evlist__enable(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
+void perf_evlist__toggle_enable(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 
 int perf_evlist__disable_event(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 			       struct perf_evsel *evsel);