diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index c74d8ecc9c70a..9d863db3f4b23 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ void perf_evlist__add(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *entry)
 {
 	list_add_tail(&entry->node, &evlist->entries);
 	entry->idx = evlist->nr_entries;
+	entry->tracking = !entry->idx;
 
 	if (!evlist->nr_entries++)
 		perf_evlist__set_id_pos(evlist);
@@ -1295,3 +1296,19 @@ void perf_evlist__to_front(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 
 	list_splice(&move, &evlist->entries);
 }
+
+void perf_evlist__set_tracking_event(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
+				     struct perf_evsel *tracking_evsel)
+{
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+
+	if (tracking_evsel->tracking)
+		return;
+
+	evlist__for_each(evlist, evsel) {
+		if (evsel != tracking_evsel)
+			evsel->tracking = false;
+	}
+
+	tracking_evsel->tracking = true;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index f5173cd63693c..e0084f90c2713 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -262,4 +262,7 @@ void perf_evlist__to_front(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 #define evlist__for_each_safe(evlist, tmp, evsel) \
 	__evlist__for_each_safe(&(evlist)->entries, tmp, evsel)
 
+void perf_evlist__set_tracking_event(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
+				     struct perf_evsel *tracking_evsel);
+
 #endif /* __PERF_EVLIST_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 66de9a7081633..01ce14c3575e0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ void perf_evsel__init(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 		      struct perf_event_attr *attr, int idx)
 {
 	evsel->idx	   = idx;
+	evsel->tracking	   = !idx;
 	evsel->attr	   = *attr;
 	evsel->leader	   = evsel;
 	evsel->unit	   = "";
@@ -561,7 +562,7 @@ void perf_evsel__config(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct record_opts *opts)
 {
 	struct perf_evsel *leader = evsel->leader;
 	struct perf_event_attr *attr = &evsel->attr;
-	int track = !evsel->idx; /* only the first counter needs these */
+	int track = evsel->tracking;
 	bool per_cpu = opts->target.default_per_cpu && !opts->target.per_thread;
 
 	attr->sample_id_all = perf_missing_features.sample_id_all ? 0 : 1;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
index dbb2a0d20907c..7bc314be6a7be 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ struct perf_evsel {
 	bool			no_aux_samples;
 	bool			immediate;
 	bool			system_wide;
+	bool			tracking;
 	/* parse modifier helper */
 	int			exclude_GH;
 	int			nr_members;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/record.c b/tools/perf/util/record.c
index e778afda0fb98..cf69325b985f1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/record.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ void perf_evlist__config(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct record_opts *opts)
 
 	evlist__for_each(evlist, evsel) {
 		perf_evsel__config(evsel, opts);
-		if (!evsel->idx && use_comm_exec)
+		if (evsel->tracking && use_comm_exec)
 			evsel->attr.comm_exec = 1;
 	}