diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
index 032324a76b877..9fc6e0fa3dce2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@
 static const char		*file_name;
 static char			name_buffer[256];
 
-bool				perf_host = 1;
-bool				perf_guest;
-
 static const char * const kvm_usage[] = {
 	"perf kvm [<options>] {top|record|report|diff|buildid-list}",
 	NULL
@@ -107,7 +104,8 @@ static int __cmd_buildid_list(int argc, const char **argv)
 
 int cmd_kvm(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __used)
 {
-	perf_host = perf_guest = 0;
+	perf_host  = 0;
+	perf_guest = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, kvm_options, kvm_usage,
 			PARSE_OPT_STOP_AT_NON_OPTION);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index fa1837088ca88..3f16e08a5c8de 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -111,8 +111,11 @@ int perf_evlist__add_default(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 		.type = PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE,
 		.config = PERF_COUNT_HW_CPU_CYCLES,
 	};
-	struct perf_evsel *evsel = perf_evsel__new(&attr, 0);
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+
+	event_attr_init(&attr);
 
+	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&attr, 0);
 	if (evsel == NULL)
 		goto error;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 531c283fc0c50..dcf999c766b10 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -838,6 +838,7 @@ int parse_events(struct perf_evlist *evlist , const char *str, int unset __used)
 	for (;;) {
 		ostr = str;
 		memset(&attr, 0, sizeof(attr));
+		event_attr_init(&attr);
 		ret = parse_event_symbols(evlist, &str, &attr);
 		if (ret == EVT_FAILED)
 			return -1;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.c b/tools/perf/util/util.c
index 5b3ea49aa63ea..813141047fc22 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.c
@@ -1,6 +1,21 @@
+#include "../perf.h"
 #include "util.h"
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 
+/*
+ * XXX We need to find a better place for these things...
+ */
+bool perf_host  = true;
+bool perf_guest = true;
+
+void event_attr_init(struct perf_event_attr *attr)
+{
+	if (!perf_host)
+		attr->exclude_host  = 1;
+	if (!perf_guest)
+		attr->exclude_guest = 1;
+}
+
 int mkdir_p(char *path, mode_t mode)
 {
 	struct stat st;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.h b/tools/perf/util/util.h
index 37be34dff7983..b9c530cce79a7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.h
@@ -242,6 +242,10 @@ int strtailcmp(const char *s1, const char *s2);
 unsigned long convert_unit(unsigned long value, char *unit);
 int readn(int fd, void *buf, size_t size);
 
+struct perf_event_attr;
+
+void event_attr_init(struct perf_event_attr *attr);
+
 #define _STR(x) #x
 #define STR(x) _STR(x)