diff --git a/include/linux/perf_event.h b/include/linux/perf_event.h
index 9ecfd856ce6ec308468deb688840977b4892c177..c1173520f14d46e78de1535184836661ccc12914 100644
--- a/include/linux/perf_event.h
+++ b/include/linux/perf_event.h
@@ -952,14 +952,7 @@ extern int perf_event_overflow(struct perf_event *event, int nmi,
  */
 static inline int is_software_event(struct perf_event *event)
 {
-	switch (event->attr.type) {
-	case PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE:
-	case PERF_TYPE_TRACEPOINT:
-	/* for now the breakpoint stuff also works as software event */
-	case PERF_TYPE_BREAKPOINT:
-		return 1;
-	}
-	return 0;
+	return event->pmu->task_ctx_nr == perf_sw_context;
 }
 
 extern atomic_t perf_swevent_enabled[PERF_COUNT_SW_MAX];
diff --git a/include/linux/sched.h b/include/linux/sched.h
index 89d6023c6f824b1fe274ce929306e90c2556efd3..eb3c1ceec06e1f9f1f2833258c737008d8df79b9 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched.h
@@ -1163,6 +1163,7 @@ struct rcu_node;
 enum perf_event_task_context {
 	perf_invalid_context = -1,
 	perf_hw_context = 0,
+	perf_sw_context,
 	perf_nr_task_contexts,
 };
 
diff --git a/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c b/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
index 6f150095cafe14e247c27eee6ba4f1461c195b18..3b2aaffb65f019505f5265a7b9f5c5165e6dad5a 100644
--- a/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
+++ b/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
@@ -610,6 +610,8 @@ static void hw_breakpoint_stop(struct perf_event *bp, int flags)
 }
 
 static struct pmu perf_breakpoint = {
+	.task_ctx_nr	= perf_sw_context, /* could eventually get its own */
+
 	.event_init	= hw_breakpoint_event_init,
 	.add		= hw_breakpoint_add,
 	.del		= hw_breakpoint_del,
diff --git a/kernel/perf_event.c b/kernel/perf_event.c
index 7223ea875861d026fb703c6dba179bea4e6ea55f..357ee8d5e8aee1e01f8090ddb881d6ec2f6744c7 100644
--- a/kernel/perf_event.c
+++ b/kernel/perf_event.c
@@ -4709,6 +4709,8 @@ static int perf_swevent_init(struct perf_event *event)
 }
 
 static struct pmu perf_swevent = {
+	.task_ctx_nr	= perf_sw_context,
+
 	.event_init	= perf_swevent_init,
 	.add		= perf_swevent_add,
 	.del		= perf_swevent_del,
@@ -4800,6 +4802,8 @@ static int perf_tp_event_init(struct perf_event *event)
 }
 
 static struct pmu perf_tracepoint = {
+	.task_ctx_nr	= perf_sw_context,
+
 	.event_init	= perf_tp_event_init,
 	.add		= perf_trace_add,
 	.del		= perf_trace_del,
@@ -4988,6 +4992,8 @@ static int cpu_clock_event_init(struct perf_event *event)
 }
 
 static struct pmu perf_cpu_clock = {
+	.task_ctx_nr	= perf_sw_context,
+
 	.event_init	= cpu_clock_event_init,
 	.add		= cpu_clock_event_add,
 	.del		= cpu_clock_event_del,
@@ -5063,6 +5069,8 @@ static int task_clock_event_init(struct perf_event *event)
 }
 
 static struct pmu perf_task_clock = {
+	.task_ctx_nr	= perf_sw_context,
+
 	.event_init	= task_clock_event_init,
 	.add		= task_clock_event_add,
 	.del		= task_clock_event_del,
@@ -5490,6 +5498,7 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE5(perf_event_open,
 	struct perf_event_context *ctx;
 	struct file *event_file = NULL;
 	struct file *group_file = NULL;
+	struct pmu *pmu;
 	int event_fd;
 	int fput_needed = 0;
 	int err;
@@ -5522,20 +5531,11 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE5(perf_event_open,
 		goto err_fd;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Get the target context (task or percpu):
-	 */
-	ctx = find_get_context(event->pmu, pid, cpu);
-	if (IS_ERR(ctx)) {
-		err = PTR_ERR(ctx);
-		goto err_alloc;
-	}
-
 	if (group_fd != -1) {
 		group_leader = perf_fget_light(group_fd, &fput_needed);
 		if (IS_ERR(group_leader)) {
 			err = PTR_ERR(group_leader);
-			goto err_context;
+			goto err_alloc;
 		}
 		group_file = group_leader->filp;
 		if (flags & PERF_FLAG_FD_OUTPUT)
@@ -5544,6 +5544,23 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE5(perf_event_open,
 			group_leader = NULL;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Special case software events and allow them to be part of
+	 * any hardware group.
+	 */
+	pmu = event->pmu;
+	if ((pmu->task_ctx_nr == perf_sw_context) && group_leader)
+		pmu = group_leader->pmu;
+
+	/*
+	 * Get the target context (task or percpu):
+	 */
+	ctx = find_get_context(pmu, pid, cpu);
+	if (IS_ERR(ctx)) {
+		err = PTR_ERR(ctx);
+		goto err_group_fd;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Look up the group leader (we will attach this event to it):
 	 */
@@ -5605,8 +5622,9 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE5(perf_event_open,
 	return event_fd;
 
 err_context:
-	fput_light(group_file, fput_needed);
 	put_ctx(ctx);
+err_group_fd:
+	fput_light(group_file, fput_needed);
 err_alloc:
 	free_event(event);
 err_fd: