diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/hw_nmi.c b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/hw_nmi.c
index 7788ce643bf4577d443b1007a1e4d37c8d28aaff..016f4263fad473962f61359ac641be41db7a808a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/hw_nmi.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/hw_nmi.c
@@ -18,8 +18,16 @@
 #include <linux/nmi.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/delay.h>
+#include <linux/perf_event.h>
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR
+int hw_nmi_get_event(void)
+{
+	if (boot_cpu_data.x86_vendor == X86_VENDOR_INTEL)
+		return PERF_COUNT_HW_REF_CPU_CYCLES;
+	return PERF_COUNT_HW_CPU_CYCLES;
+}
+
 u64 hw_nmi_get_sample_period(int watchdog_thresh)
 {
 	return (u64)(cpu_khz) * 1000 * watchdog_thresh;
diff --git a/include/linux/nmi.h b/include/linux/nmi.h
index 4630eeae18e08df43be6567ca5fbcb2027643c65..79858af272090a881bef7fc66ddbd1330d03f0c2 100644
--- a/include/linux/nmi.h
+++ b/include/linux/nmi.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ static inline bool trigger_allbutself_cpu_backtrace(void)
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_LOCKUP_DETECTOR
 u64 hw_nmi_get_sample_period(int watchdog_thresh);
+int hw_nmi_get_event(void);
 extern int nmi_watchdog_enabled;
 extern int soft_watchdog_enabled;
 extern int watchdog_user_enabled;
diff --git a/kernel/watchdog.c b/kernel/watchdog.c
index 9acb29f280ec95813612a913307e4dcaec8b7e03..8dd30fcd91be967dcca8e3ddf7050dde23b37227 100644
--- a/kernel/watchdog.c
+++ b/kernel/watchdog.c
@@ -315,6 +315,12 @@ static int is_softlockup(unsigned long touch_ts)
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR
 
+/* Can be overriden by architecture */
+__weak int hw_nmi_get_event(void)
+{
+	return PERF_COUNT_HW_CPU_CYCLES;
+}
+
 static struct perf_event_attr wd_hw_attr = {
 	.type		= PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE,
 	.config		= PERF_COUNT_HW_CPU_CYCLES,
@@ -604,6 +610,7 @@ static int watchdog_nmi_enable(unsigned int cpu)
 
 	wd_attr = &wd_hw_attr;
 	wd_attr->sample_period = hw_nmi_get_sample_period(watchdog_thresh);
+	wd_attr->config = hw_nmi_get_event();
 
 	/* Try to register using hardware perf events */
 	event = perf_event_create_kernel_counter(wd_attr, cpu, NULL, watchdog_overflow_callback, NULL);