diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_counter.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_counter.c
index 1dcf67057f161162448c3d8b8f235cb6df58d4c5..46a82d1e4cbec1c827d772d7376926e1ec02ade2 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_counter.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_counter.c
@@ -473,6 +473,11 @@ x86_perf_counter_set_period(struct perf_counter *counter,
 		left += period;
 		atomic64_set(&hwc->period_left, left);
 	}
+	/*
+	 * Quirk: certain CPUs dont like it if just 1 event is left:
+	 */
+	if (unlikely(left < 2))
+		left = 2;
 
 	per_cpu(prev_left[idx], smp_processor_id()) = left;