diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/attr.py b/tools/perf/tests/attr.py
index b03261c6b1ed6a1513c1229f40eca0f4b2d999fa..6bb50e82a3e3101de32ff3aca50680aa24cc565d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/attr.py
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/attr.py
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ class Event(dict):
                 return False
         return True
 
+    def optional(self):
+        if self.has_key('optional') and self['optional'] == '1':
+            return True
+        return False
+
     def diff(self, other):
         for t in Event.terms:
             if not self.has_key(t) or not other.has_key(t):
@@ -244,9 +249,12 @@ class Test(object):
             log.debug("    match: [%s] matches %s" % (exp_name, str(exp_list)))
 
             # we did not any matching event - fail
-            if (not exp_list):
-		exp_event.diff(res_event)
-                raise Fail(self, 'match failure');
+            if not exp_list:
+                if exp_event.optional():
+                    log.debug("    %s does not match, but is optional" % exp_name)
+                else:
+                    exp_event.diff(res_event)
+                    raise Fail(self, 'match failure');
 
             match[exp_name] = exp_list
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-default b/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-default
index 19270f54c96ea7de0470cdf6fafb94256a590844..e911dbd4eb47eb9b1be00e9d14bebab763efb5d0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-default
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-default
@@ -38,12 +38,14 @@ config=0
 fd=6
 type=0
 config=7
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE / PERF_COUNT_HW_STALLED_CYCLES_BACKEND
 [event7:base-stat]
 fd=7
 type=0
 config=8
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE / PERF_COUNT_HW_INSTRUCTIONS
 [event8:base-stat]
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-1 b/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-1
index 51426b87153b5aa739f25a4f7dba2d44285c20f1..b39270a08e740a58f5ae2e9fbfdcd5658942502a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-1
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-1
@@ -39,12 +39,14 @@ config=0
 fd=6
 type=0
 config=7
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE / PERF_COUNT_HW_STALLED_CYCLES_BACKEND
 [event7:base-stat]
 fd=7
 type=0
 config=8
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE / PERF_COUNT_HW_INSTRUCTIONS
 [event8:base-stat]
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-2 b/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-2
index 8de5acc31c27ca59420b1ebab6e24a4d42518bcb..45f8e6ea34f817819d5fd71ae9b05e661425e8cb 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-2
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-2
@@ -39,12 +39,14 @@ config=0
 fd=6
 type=0
 config=7
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE / PERF_COUNT_HW_STALLED_CYCLES_BACKEND
 [event7:base-stat]
 fd=7
 type=0
 config=8
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE / PERF_COUNT_HW_INSTRUCTIONS
 [event8:base-stat]
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ config=65538
 fd=15
 type=3
 config=1
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HW_CACHE,
 #  PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_L1I                <<  0  |
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-3 b/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-3
index 0a1f45bf7d799b63b16d5c00908cbcf1af9ada18..30ae0fb7a3fdb12c549050c4985b70c8b885e4ea 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-3
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/attr/test-stat-detailed-3
@@ -39,12 +39,14 @@ config=0
 fd=6
 type=0
 config=7
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE / PERF_COUNT_HW_STALLED_CYCLES_BACKEND
 [event7:base-stat]
 fd=7
 type=0
 config=8
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE / PERF_COUNT_HW_INSTRUCTIONS
 [event8:base-stat]
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ config=65538
 fd=15
 type=3
 config=1
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HW_CACHE,
 #  PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_L1I                <<  0  |
@@ -162,6 +165,7 @@ config=65540
 fd=21
 type=3
 config=512
+optional=1
 
 # PERF_TYPE_HW_CACHE,
 #  PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_L1D                <<  0  |
@@ -171,3 +175,4 @@ config=512
 fd=22
 type=3
 config=66048
+optional=1