diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c
index f62dee7bd924b30696da6205fece4980a7b13e24..4a015f77e2b5bb6ff7f6ab3e8c22ec42bf1b8b67 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-options.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ static int get_value(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *p,
 		return opterror(opt, "is not usable", flags);
 
 	if (opt->flags & PARSE_OPT_EXCLUSIVE) {
-		if (p->excl_opt) {
+		if (p->excl_opt && p->excl_opt != opt) {
 			char msg[128];
 
 			if (((flags & OPT_SHORT) && p->excl_opt->short_name) ||