diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 397fb4ed3c97..1eb4d02e3968 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -988,6 +988,16 @@ int perf_evsel__enable(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads)
 				     0);
 }
 
+int perf_evsel__disable(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
+{
+	int nthreads = thread_map__nr(evsel->threads);
+	int ncpus = cpu_map__nr(evsel->cpus);
+
+	return perf_evsel__run_ioctl(evsel, ncpus, nthreads,
+				     PERF_EVENT_IOC_DISABLE,
+				     0);
+}
+
 int perf_evsel__alloc_id(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads)
 {
 	if (ncpus == 0 || nthreads == 0)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
index 0e49bd742c63..eaa4c733c976 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ int perf_evsel__append_filter(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 int perf_evsel__apply_filter(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads,
 			     const char *filter);
 int perf_evsel__enable(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads);
+int perf_evsel__disable(struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 
 int perf_evsel__open_per_cpu(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 			     struct cpu_map *cpus);