diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c
index c886dc8c63f8aeab5e321c3e91e671005d759541..6e8ab0427041dc590790c48105a210092bbe2181 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c
@@ -1316,9 +1316,16 @@ static struct attribute_group x86_pmu_format_group = {
  */
 static void __init filter_events(struct attribute **attrs)
 {
+	struct device_attribute *d;
+	struct perf_pmu_events_attr *pmu_attr;
 	int i, j;
 
 	for (i = 0; attrs[i]; i++) {
+		d = (struct device_attribute *)attrs[i];
+		pmu_attr = container_of(d, struct perf_pmu_events_attr, attr);
+		/* str trumps id */
+		if (pmu_attr->event_str)
+			continue;
 		if (x86_pmu.event_map(i))
 			continue;
 
@@ -1361,17 +1368,14 @@ static ssize_t events_sysfs_show(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *at
 {
 	struct perf_pmu_events_attr *pmu_attr = \
 		container_of(attr, struct perf_pmu_events_attr, attr);
-
 	u64 config = x86_pmu.event_map(pmu_attr->id);
-	return x86_pmu.events_sysfs_show(page, config);
-}
 
-#define EVENT_VAR(_id)  event_attr_##_id
-#define EVENT_PTR(_id) &event_attr_##_id.attr.attr
+	/* string trumps id */
+	if (pmu_attr->event_str)
+		return sprintf(page, "%s", pmu_attr->event_str);
 
-#define EVENT_ATTR(_name, _id)						\
-	PMU_EVENT_ATTR(_name, EVENT_VAR(_id), PERF_COUNT_HW_##_id,	\
-			events_sysfs_show)
+	return x86_pmu.events_sysfs_show(page, config);
+}
 
 EVENT_ATTR(cpu-cycles,			CPU_CYCLES		);
 EVENT_ATTR(instructions,		INSTRUCTIONS		);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.h b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.h
index 95152c12a8d90a8f3cfe5e7000ccb8b8823285ef..b1518eed5f99acadacab91e8d3f6a6458e0e7bc5 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.h
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.h
@@ -422,6 +422,23 @@ do {									\
 #define ERF_NO_HT_SHARING	1
 #define ERF_HAS_RSP_1		2
 
+#define EVENT_VAR(_id)  event_attr_##_id
+#define EVENT_PTR(_id) &event_attr_##_id.attr.attr
+
+#define EVENT_ATTR(_name, _id)						\
+static struct perf_pmu_events_attr EVENT_VAR(_id) = {			\
+	.attr		= __ATTR(_name, 0444, events_sysfs_show, NULL),	\
+	.id		= PERF_COUNT_HW_##_id,				\
+	.event_str	= NULL,						\
+};
+
+#define EVENT_ATTR_STR(_name, v, str)					\
+static struct perf_pmu_events_attr event_attr_##v = {			\
+	.attr		= __ATTR(_name, 0444, events_sysfs_show, NULL),	\
+	.id		= 0,						\
+	.event_str	= str,						\
+};
+
 extern struct x86_pmu x86_pmu __read_mostly;
 
 DECLARE_PER_CPU(struct cpu_hw_events, cpu_hw_events);
diff --git a/include/linux/perf_event.h b/include/linux/perf_event.h
index 8737e1cee8b23338d384409c5fcc173b3b58fd2e..1c592114c437d65dbd6d4add43eac1b81899a6b1 100644
--- a/include/linux/perf_event.h
+++ b/include/linux/perf_event.h
@@ -809,6 +809,7 @@ do {									\
 struct perf_pmu_events_attr {
 	struct device_attribute attr;
 	u64 id;
+	const char *event_str;
 };
 
 #define PMU_EVENT_ATTR(_name, _var, _id, _show)				\