diff --git a/arch/arm/include/asm/pmu.h b/arch/arm/include/asm/pmu.h
index b5a5be2536c1158acf5a9c979eccb0f5588bb97c..90114faa9f3c7c087f6fce6b871b16ab5e433b44 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/asm/pmu.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/pmu.h
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ int __init armpmu_register(struct arm_pmu *armpmu, char *name, int type);
 
 u64 armpmu_event_update(struct perf_event *event,
 			struct hw_perf_event *hwc,
-			int idx, int overflow);
+			int idx);
 
 int armpmu_event_set_period(struct perf_event *event,
 			    struct hw_perf_event *hwc,
diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event.c b/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event.c
index 5bb91bf3d47f24c9c6fb75324535c39e54b2c62e..56173ae164489cdd5d0a7f3fba2461c114a13cf6 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event.c
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ armpmu_event_set_period(struct perf_event *event,
 u64
 armpmu_event_update(struct perf_event *event,
 		    struct hw_perf_event *hwc,
-		    int idx, int overflow)
+		    int idx)
 {
 	struct arm_pmu *armpmu = to_arm_pmu(event->pmu);
 	u64 delta, prev_raw_count, new_raw_count;
@@ -193,13 +193,7 @@ armpmu_event_update(struct perf_event *event,
 			     new_raw_count) != prev_raw_count)
 		goto again;
 
-	new_raw_count &= armpmu->max_period;
-	prev_raw_count &= armpmu->max_period;
-
-	if (overflow)
-		delta = armpmu->max_period - prev_raw_count + new_raw_count + 1;
-	else
-		delta = new_raw_count - prev_raw_count;
+	delta = (new_raw_count - prev_raw_count) & armpmu->max_period;
 
 	local64_add(delta, &event->count);
 	local64_sub(delta, &hwc->period_left);
@@ -216,7 +210,7 @@ armpmu_read(struct perf_event *event)
 	if (hwc->idx < 0)
 		return;
 
-	armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, hwc->idx, 0);
+	armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, hwc->idx);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -232,7 +226,7 @@ armpmu_stop(struct perf_event *event, int flags)
 	if (!(hwc->state & PERF_HES_STOPPED)) {
 		armpmu->disable(hwc, hwc->idx);
 		barrier(); /* why? */
-		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, hwc->idx, 0);
+		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, hwc->idx);
 		hwc->state |= PERF_HES_STOPPED | PERF_HES_UPTODATE;
 	}
 }
@@ -518,7 +512,13 @@ __hw_perf_event_init(struct perf_event *event)
 	hwc->config_base	    |= (unsigned long)mapping;
 
 	if (!hwc->sample_period) {
-		hwc->sample_period  = armpmu->max_period;
+		/*
+		 * For non-sampling runs, limit the sample_period to half
+		 * of the counter width. That way, the new counter value
+		 * is far less likely to overtake the previous one unless
+		 * you have some serious IRQ latency issues.
+		 */
+		hwc->sample_period  = armpmu->max_period >> 1;
 		hwc->last_period    = hwc->sample_period;
 		local64_set(&hwc->period_left, hwc->sample_period);
 	}
diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_v6.c b/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_v6.c
index 533be9930ec22f803e672a2e57217b8c65bfc40b..88bf15253fbd33a18074b995a8e3d54a0f8bbb4b 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_v6.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_v6.c
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ armv6pmu_handle_irq(int irq_num,
 			continue;
 
 		hwc = &event->hw;
-		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, idx, 1);
+		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, idx);
 		data.period = event->hw.last_period;
 		if (!armpmu_event_set_period(event, hwc, idx))
 			continue;
diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_v7.c b/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_v7.c
index 6933244c68f964ffed73f11cfbdaac1ca13b2f74..6f488610f8fcb634a69732f18420a22f4168c2cf 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_v7.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_v7.c
@@ -963,7 +963,7 @@ static irqreturn_t armv7pmu_handle_irq(int irq_num, void *dev)
 			continue;
 
 		hwc = &event->hw;
-		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, idx, 1);
+		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, idx);
 		data.period = event->hw.last_period;
 		if (!armpmu_event_set_period(event, hwc, idx))
 			continue;
diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_xscale.c b/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_xscale.c
index 3b99d8269829b971db3d8f0618629c77d8317c5a..831e019b017c4513cf413af62a56d8f9a239b8b5 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_xscale.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/perf_event_xscale.c
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ xscale1pmu_handle_irq(int irq_num, void *dev)
 			continue;
 
 		hwc = &event->hw;
-		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, idx, 1);
+		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, idx);
 		data.period = event->hw.last_period;
 		if (!armpmu_event_set_period(event, hwc, idx))
 			continue;
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ xscale2pmu_handle_irq(int irq_num, void *dev)
 			continue;
 
 		hwc = &event->hw;
-		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, idx, 1);
+		armpmu_event_update(event, hwc, idx);
 		data.period = event->hw.last_period;
 		if (!armpmu_event_set_period(event, hwc, idx))
 			continue;