diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
index 80c9e062bd5b6e067c882d0f32cc3b2346ef2c8a..4bf6e02c2b2a9dcba3f17027c4613d54b8f5c6cf 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
@@ -515,24 +515,25 @@ static void handle_keypress(struct perf_session *session, int c)
 			break;
 		case 'E':
 			if (top.evlist->nr_entries > 1) {
+				int counter;
 				fprintf(stderr, "\nAvailable events:");
 
 				list_for_each_entry(top.sym_evsel, &top.evlist->entries, node)
 					fprintf(stderr, "\n\t%d %s", top.sym_evsel->idx, event_name(top.sym_evsel));
 
-				prompt_integer(&top.sym_counter, "Enter details event counter");
+				prompt_integer(&counter, "Enter details event counter");
 
-				if (top.sym_counter >= top.evlist->nr_entries) {
+				if (counter >= top.evlist->nr_entries) {
 					top.sym_evsel = list_entry(top.evlist->entries.next, struct perf_evsel, node);
-					top.sym_counter = 0;
 					fprintf(stderr, "Sorry, no such event, using %s.\n", event_name(top.sym_evsel));
 					sleep(1);
 					break;
 				}
 				list_for_each_entry(top.sym_evsel, &top.evlist->entries, node)
-					if (top.sym_evsel->idx == top.sym_counter)
+					if (top.sym_evsel->idx == counter)
 						break;
-			} else top.sym_counter = 0;
+			} else
+				top.sym_evsel = list_entry(top.evlist->entries.next, struct perf_evsel, node);
 			break;
 		case 'f':
 			prompt_integer(&top.count_filter, "Enter display event count filter");
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/top.c b/tools/perf/util/top.c
index 75cfe4d451197179da6b00d52f4453020f18b032..fcfb77762819ebdd7228621d0ad28b27503331b7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/top.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ float perf_top__decay_samples(struct perf_top *top, struct rb_root *root)
 {
 	struct sym_entry *syme, *n;
 	float sum_ksamples = 0.0;
-	int snap = !top->display_weighted ? top->sym_counter : 0, j;
+	int snap = !top->display_weighted ? top->sym_evsel->idx : 0, j;
 
 	/* Sort the active symbols */
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&top->active_symbols_lock);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/top.h b/tools/perf/util/top.h
index 96d1cb78af01cebc8632102c148b76a8fc000484..96a78312c7190ceaef275fc12b7166e61059fc9d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/top.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/top.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ struct perf_top {
 	u64		   exact_samples;
 	u64		   guest_us_samples, guest_kernel_samples;
 	int		   print_entries, count_filter, delay_secs;
-	int		   display_weighted, freq, rb_entries, sym_counter;
+	int		   display_weighted, freq, rb_entries;
 	pid_t		   target_pid, target_tid;
 	bool		   hide_kernel_symbols, hide_user_symbols, zero;
 	const char	   *cpu_list;