diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 47f1fe2feab89495d06283ec270b079c3e1f2181..2da04733117350a2fad52e2dab501c811c8819d6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -128,6 +128,31 @@ static int perf_evsel__hw_name(struct perf_evsel *evsel, char *bf, size_t size)
 	return r + perf_evsel__add_modifiers(evsel, bf + r, size - r);
 }
 
+static const char *perf_evsel__sw_names[PERF_COUNT_SW_MAX] = {
+	"cpu-clock",
+	"task-clock",
+	"page-faults",
+	"context-switches",
+	"CPU-migrations",
+	"minor-faults",
+	"major-faults",
+	"alignment-faults",
+	"emulation-faults",
+};
+
+const char *__perf_evsel__sw_name(u64 config)
+{
+	if (config < PERF_COUNT_SW_MAX && perf_evsel__sw_names[config])
+		return perf_evsel__sw_names[config];
+	return "unknown-software";
+}
+
+static int perf_evsel__sw_name(struct perf_evsel *evsel, char *bf, size_t size)
+{
+	int r = scnprintf(bf, size, "%s", __perf_evsel__sw_name(evsel->attr.config));
+	return r + perf_evsel__add_modifiers(evsel, bf + r, size - r);
+}
+
 const char *perf_evsel__hw_cache[PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_MAX]
 				[PERF_EVSEL__MAX_ALIASES] = {
  { "L1-dcache",	"l1-d",		"l1d",		"L1-data",		},
@@ -244,6 +269,10 @@ int perf_evsel__name(struct perf_evsel *evsel, char *bf, size_t size)
 		ret = perf_evsel__hw_cache_name(evsel, bf, size);
 		break;
 
+	case PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE:
+		ret = perf_evsel__sw_name(evsel, bf, size);
+		break;
+
 	default:
 		/*
 		 * FIXME
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
index 5bf946a05a6b1f1dd175adf87b67e8644d5a35e9..9ae64d9622bc7c8b29f0bec4a37020cccd391baf 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ int __perf_evsel__hw_cache_type_op_res_name(u8 type, u8 op, u8 result,
 int __perf_evsel__hw_cache_name(u64 config, char *bf, size_t size);
 
 const char *__perf_evsel__hw_name(u64 config);
+const char *__perf_evsel__sw_name(u64 config);
+
 int perf_evsel__name(struct perf_evsel *evsel, char *bf, size_t size);
 
 int perf_evsel__alloc_fd(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index c8f8cf4a69209fb676929b94fbed8ff18948533d..641c4ac8a8385fdf48187ba048bc2dcfd8e64e93 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -62,18 +62,6 @@ static struct event_symbol event_symbols[] = {
 #define PERF_EVENT_TYPE(config)		__PERF_EVENT_FIELD(config, TYPE)
 #define PERF_EVENT_ID(config)		__PERF_EVENT_FIELD(config, EVENT)
 
-static const char *sw_event_names[PERF_COUNT_SW_MAX] = {
-	"cpu-clock",
-	"task-clock",
-	"page-faults",
-	"context-switches",
-	"CPU-migrations",
-	"minor-faults",
-	"major-faults",
-	"alignment-faults",
-	"emulation-faults",
-};
-
 #define for_each_subsystem(sys_dir, sys_dirent, sys_next)	       \
 	while (!readdir_r(sys_dir, &sys_dirent, &sys_next) && sys_next)	       \
 	if (sys_dirent.d_type == DT_DIR &&				       \
@@ -218,7 +206,8 @@ const char *event_name(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 	u64 config = evsel->attr.config;
 	int type = evsel->attr.type;
 
-	if (type == PERF_TYPE_RAW || type == PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE || type == PERF_TYPE_HW_CACHE) {
+	if (type == PERF_TYPE_RAW || type == PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE ||
+	    type == PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE || type == PERF_TYPE_HW_CACHE) {
 		/*
  		 * XXX minimal fix, see comment on perf_evsen__name, this static buffer
  		 * will go away together with event_name in the next devel cycle.
@@ -252,9 +241,7 @@ const char *__event_name(int type, u64 config)
 		return buf;
 
 	case PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE:
-		if (config < PERF_COUNT_SW_MAX && sw_event_names[config])
-			return sw_event_names[config];
-		return "unknown-software";
+		return __perf_evsel__sw_name(config);
 
 	case PERF_TYPE_TRACEPOINT:
 		return tracepoint_id_to_name(config);