diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 40626e5fc1c0..90f58cdd0fb0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -681,6 +681,11 @@ void perf_evsel__config(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct record_opts *opts)
 	if (target__none(&opts->target) && perf_evsel__is_group_leader(evsel) &&
 		!opts->initial_delay)
 		attr->enable_on_exec = 1;
+
+	if (evsel->immediate) {
+		attr->disabled = 0;
+		attr->enable_on_exec = 0;
+	}
 }
 
 int perf_evsel__alloc_fd(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
index 8dfec05bcec2..d7f93ce0ebc1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ struct perf_evsel {
 	bool 			supported;
 	bool 			needs_swap;
 	bool			no_aux_samples;
+	bool			immediate;
 	/* parse modifier helper */
 	int			exclude_GH;
 	int			nr_members;