diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c
index bf48092983c65fe8cec8bb3ff4662e1b1803b18e..b6016101b40b98e3402d9e467c18ab832390907f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ static int get_value(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *p,
 		return opterror(opt, "takes no value", flags);
 	if (unset && (opt->flags & PARSE_OPT_NONEG))
 		return opterror(opt, "isn't available", flags);
+	if (opt->flags & PARSE_OPT_DISABLED)
+		return opterror(opt, "is not usable", flags);
 
 	if (!(flags & OPT_SHORT) && p->opt) {
 		switch (opt->type) {
@@ -509,6 +511,8 @@ static void print_option_help(const struct option *opts, int full)
 	}
 	if (!full && (opts->flags & PARSE_OPT_HIDDEN))
 		return;
+	if (opts->flags & PARSE_OPT_DISABLED)
+		return;
 
 	pos = fprintf(stderr, "    ");
 	if (opts->short_name)
@@ -679,3 +683,16 @@ int parse_opt_verbosity_cb(const struct option *opt,
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
+
+void set_option_flag(struct option *opts, int shortopt, const char *longopt,
+		     int flag)
+{
+	for (; opts->type != OPTION_END; opts++) {
+		if ((shortopt && opts->short_name == shortopt) ||
+		    (opts->long_name && longopt &&
+		     !strcmp(opts->long_name, longopt))) {
+			opts->flags |= flag;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.h b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.h
index b59ba858e73d6768d58e6e476fb4678b5a9da837..b7c80dbc7627d9310aaad34306b9e52a94a9819a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ enum parse_opt_option_flags {
 	PARSE_OPT_NONEG   = 4,
 	PARSE_OPT_HIDDEN  = 8,
 	PARSE_OPT_LASTARG_DEFAULT = 16,
+	PARSE_OPT_DISABLED = 32,
 };
 
 struct option;
@@ -211,4 +212,5 @@ extern int parse_opt_verbosity_cb(const struct option *, const char *, int);
 
 extern const char *parse_options_fix_filename(const char *prefix, const char *file);
 
+void set_option_flag(struct option *opts, int sopt, const char *lopt, int flag);
 #endif /* __PERF_PARSE_OPTIONS_H */