diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
index 3308b22a16603c1684cbaff1e679788ddac4ddf6..2240974b7745874f3e2e39c3ee9f98d18c8c7912 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
@@ -376,6 +376,7 @@ LIB_OBJS += $(OUTPUT)util/record.o
 LIB_OBJS += $(OUTPUT)util/srcline.o
 LIB_OBJS += $(OUTPUT)util/data.o
 LIB_OBJS += $(OUTPUT)util/tsc.o
+LIB_OBJS += $(OUTPUT)util/cloexec.o
 
 LIB_OBJS += $(OUTPUT)ui/setup.o
 LIB_OBJS += $(OUTPUT)ui/helpline.o
diff --git a/tools/perf/bench/mem-memcpy.c b/tools/perf/bench/mem-memcpy.c
index e622c3e96efccca0ee10e119555205f960f91c86..2465141b554bf0e135edc427799227032e25345d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/bench/mem-memcpy.c
+++ b/tools/perf/bench/mem-memcpy.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "../util/util.h"
 #include "../util/parse-options.h"
 #include "../util/header.h"
+#include "../util/cloexec.h"
 #include "bench.h"
 #include "mem-memcpy-arch.h"
 
@@ -83,7 +84,8 @@ static struct perf_event_attr cycle_attr = {
 
 static void init_cycle(void)
 {
-	cycle_fd = sys_perf_event_open(&cycle_attr, getpid(), -1, -1, 0);
+	cycle_fd = sys_perf_event_open(&cycle_attr, getpid(), -1, -1,
+				       perf_event_open_cloexec_flag());
 
 	if (cycle_fd < 0 && errno == ENOSYS)
 		die("No CONFIG_PERF_EVENTS=y kernel support configured?\n");
diff --git a/tools/perf/bench/mem-memset.c b/tools/perf/bench/mem-memset.c
index 2a65468619f0fe15467f11da369afb6d6a5c8d8b..75fc3e65fb2a8025e29d426f2d6b368b7882e577 100644
--- a/tools/perf/bench/mem-memset.c
+++ b/tools/perf/bench/mem-memset.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "../util/util.h"
 #include "../util/parse-options.h"
 #include "../util/header.h"
+#include "../util/cloexec.h"
 #include "bench.h"
 #include "mem-memset-arch.h"
 
@@ -83,7 +84,8 @@ static struct perf_event_attr cycle_attr = {
 
 static void init_cycle(void)
 {
-	cycle_fd = sys_perf_event_open(&cycle_attr, getpid(), -1, -1, 0);
+	cycle_fd = sys_perf_event_open(&cycle_attr, getpid(), -1, -1,
+				       perf_event_open_cloexec_flag());
 
 	if (cycle_fd < 0 && errno == ENOSYS)
 		die("No CONFIG_PERF_EVENTS=y kernel support configured?\n");
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
index b7f555add0c8d21664d5dae6a62d90b0e14fe5d6..f83c08c0dd87caaa97a8c0b3958320b65a2ed2ef 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "util/header.h"
 #include "util/session.h"
 #include "util/tool.h"
+#include "util/cloexec.h"
 
 #include "util/parse-options.h"
 #include "util/trace-event.h"
@@ -434,7 +435,8 @@ static int self_open_counters(void)
 	attr.type = PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE;
 	attr.config = PERF_COUNT_SW_TASK_CLOCK;
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1,
+				 perf_event_open_cloexec_flag());
 
 	if (fd < 0)
 		pr_err("Error: sys_perf_event_open() syscall returned "
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/bp_signal.c b/tools/perf/tests/bp_signal.c
index aba095489193bb6e224ff11f3f2ee03968df8711..a02b035fd5aa84ba8e473d0902cccb39806a82b5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/bp_signal.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/bp_signal.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "tests.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "perf.h"
+#include "cloexec.h"
 
 static int fd1;
 static int fd2;
@@ -78,7 +79,8 @@ static int bp_event(void *fn, int setup_signal)
 	pe.exclude_kernel = 1;
 	pe.exclude_hv = 1;
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&pe, 0, -1, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&pe, 0, -1, -1,
+				 perf_event_open_cloexec_flag());
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		pr_debug("failed opening event %llx\n", pe.config);
 		return TEST_FAIL;
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/bp_signal_overflow.c b/tools/perf/tests/bp_signal_overflow.c
index 44ac82179708b50d6ab559cb9258c8334ab70fff..e76537724491850342753c0b5ddead454555b899 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/bp_signal_overflow.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/bp_signal_overflow.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "tests.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "perf.h"
+#include "cloexec.h"
 
 static int overflows;
 
@@ -91,7 +92,8 @@ int test__bp_signal_overflow(void)
 	pe.exclude_kernel = 1;
 	pe.exclude_hv = 1;
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&pe, 0, -1, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&pe, 0, -1, -1,
+				 perf_event_open_cloexec_flag());
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		pr_debug("failed opening event %llx\n", pe.config);
 		return TEST_FAIL;
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/rdpmc.c b/tools/perf/tests/rdpmc.c
index e59143fd9e711c0461196ce098ec64ec31cd6641..c04d1f268576568f8a5b32c77e95796f40d8b723 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/rdpmc.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/rdpmc.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "perf.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "tests.h"
+#include "cloexec.h"
 
 #if defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__i386__)
 
@@ -104,7 +105,8 @@ static int __test__rdpmc(void)
 	sa.sa_sigaction = segfault_handler;
 	sigaction(SIGSEGV, &sa, NULL);
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1,
+				 perf_event_open_cloexec_flag());
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		pr_err("Error: sys_perf_event_open() syscall returned "
 		       "with %d (%s)\n", fd, strerror(errno));
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/cloexec.c b/tools/perf/util/cloexec.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c5d05ec172206d6d86dd1bdc14edfa29a2d7bd0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/util/cloexec.c
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#include "util.h"
+#include "../perf.h"
+#include "cloexec.h"
+#include "asm/bug.h"
+
+static unsigned long flag = PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC;
+
+static int perf_flag_probe(void)
+{
+	/* use 'safest' configuration as used in perf_evsel__fallback() */
+	struct perf_event_attr attr = {
+		.type = PERF_COUNT_SW_CPU_CLOCK,
+		.config = PERF_COUNT_SW_CPU_CLOCK,
+	};
+	int fd;
+	int err;
+
+	/* check cloexec flag */
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1,
+				 PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC);
+	err = errno;
+
+	if (fd >= 0) {
+		close(fd);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	WARN_ONCE(err != EINVAL,
+		  "perf_event_open(..., PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC) failed with unexpected error %d (%s)\n",
+		  err, strerror(err));
+
+	/* not supported, confirm error related to PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC */
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1, 0);
+	err = errno;
+
+	if (WARN_ONCE(fd < 0,
+		      "perf_event_open(..., 0) failed unexpectedly with error %d (%s)\n",
+		      err, strerror(err)))
+		return -1;
+
+	close(fd);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+unsigned long perf_event_open_cloexec_flag(void)
+{
+	static bool probed;
+
+	if (!probed) {
+		if (perf_flag_probe() <= 0)
+			flag = 0;
+		probed = true;
+	}
+
+	return flag;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/cloexec.h b/tools/perf/util/cloexec.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..94a5a7d829d5ba32efe646f9c04729ab363ac593
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/util/cloexec.h
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#ifndef __PERF_CLOEXEC_H
+#define __PERF_CLOEXEC_H
+
+unsigned long perf_event_open_cloexec_flag(void);
+
+#endif /* __PERF_CLOEXEC_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 90f58cdd0fb088ac3e068160c2eb649f3c233263..21a373ebea226a8208c3ccf2aaee9ad92ad4156d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ static struct {
 	bool sample_id_all;
 	bool exclude_guest;
 	bool mmap2;
+	bool cloexec;
 } perf_missing_features;
 
 #define FD(e, x, y) (*(int *)xyarray__entry(e->fd, x, y))
@@ -994,7 +995,7 @@ static int __perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
 			      struct thread_map *threads)
 {
 	int cpu, thread;
-	unsigned long flags = 0;
+	unsigned long flags = PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC;
 	int pid = -1, err;
 	enum { NO_CHANGE, SET_TO_MAX, INCREASED_MAX } set_rlimit = NO_CHANGE;
 
@@ -1003,11 +1004,13 @@ static int __perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	if (evsel->cgrp) {
-		flags = PERF_FLAG_PID_CGROUP;
+		flags |= PERF_FLAG_PID_CGROUP;
 		pid = evsel->cgrp->fd;
 	}
 
 fallback_missing_features:
+	if (perf_missing_features.cloexec)
+		flags &= ~(unsigned long)PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC;
 	if (perf_missing_features.mmap2)
 		evsel->attr.mmap2 = 0;
 	if (perf_missing_features.exclude_guest)
@@ -1076,7 +1079,10 @@ static int __perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
 	if (err != -EINVAL || cpu > 0 || thread > 0)
 		goto out_close;
 
-	if (!perf_missing_features.mmap2 && evsel->attr.mmap2) {
+	if (!perf_missing_features.cloexec && (flags & PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC)) {
+		perf_missing_features.cloexec = true;
+		goto fallback_missing_features;
+	} else if (!perf_missing_features.mmap2 && evsel->attr.mmap2) {
 		perf_missing_features.mmap2 = true;
 		goto fallback_missing_features;
 	} else if (!perf_missing_features.exclude_guest &&
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/record.c b/tools/perf/util/record.c
index 165723152cfb64007e32080054f59223a08fb735..fe8079edbdc11a239ee26524ac51d04b3d40f895 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/record.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "parse-events.h"
 #include <api/fs/fs.h>
 #include "util.h"
+#include "cloexec.h"
 
 typedef void (*setup_probe_fn_t)(struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ static int perf_do_probe_api(setup_probe_fn_t fn, int cpu, const char *str)
 {
 	struct perf_evlist *evlist;
 	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+	unsigned long flags = perf_event_open_cloexec_flag();
 	int err = -EAGAIN, fd;
 
 	evlist = perf_evlist__new();
@@ -22,14 +24,14 @@ static int perf_do_probe_api(setup_probe_fn_t fn, int cpu, const char *str)
 
 	evsel = perf_evlist__first(evlist);
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, flags);
 	if (fd < 0)
 		goto out_delete;
 	close(fd);
 
 	fn(evsel);
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, flags);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		if (errno == EINVAL)
 			err = -EINVAL;
@@ -219,7 +221,8 @@ bool perf_evlist__can_select_event(struct perf_evlist *evlist, const char *str)
 		cpu = evlist->cpus->map[0];
 	}
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1,
+				 perf_event_open_cloexec_flag());
 	if (fd >= 0) {
 		close(fd);
 		ret = true;