diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 42e24149c79198554f718b3570c78051d8f9238c..1a9098c697b44a0d181aa28fd2192578f27150af 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -242,9 +242,13 @@ static void perf_record__open(struct perf_record *rec)
 			/*
 			 * If it's cycles then fall back to hrtimer
 			 * based cpu-clock-tick sw counter, which
-			 * is always available even if no PMU support:
+			 * is always available even if no PMU support.
+			 *
+			 * PPC returns ENXIO until 2.6.37 (behavior changed
+			 * with commit b0a873e).
 			 */
-			if (err == ENOENT && attr->type == PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE
+			if ((err == ENOENT || err == ENXIO)
+					&& attr->type == PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE
 					&& attr->config == PERF_COUNT_HW_CPU_CYCLES) {
 
 				if (verbose)