diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index a3e28b49128a..023bc3873ae9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -428,6 +428,27 @@ void perf_evlist__add_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int fd)
 	evlist->nr_fds++;
 }
 
+int perf_evlist__filter_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, short revents_and_mask)
+{
+	int fd, nr_fds = 0;
+
+	if (evlist->nr_fds == 0)
+		return 0;
+
+	for (fd = 0; fd < evlist->nr_fds; ++fd) {
+		if (evlist->pollfd[fd].revents & revents_and_mask)
+			continue;
+
+		if (fd != nr_fds)
+			evlist->pollfd[nr_fds] = evlist->pollfd[fd];
+
+		++nr_fds;
+	}
+
+	evlist->nr_fds = nr_fds;
+	return nr_fds;
+}
+
 static void perf_evlist__id_hash(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 				 struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 				 int cpu, int thread, u64 id)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index 106de53a6a74..1082420951f9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ void perf_evlist__id_add(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 
 void perf_evlist__add_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int fd);
 
+int perf_evlist__filter_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, short revents_and_mask);
+
 struct perf_evsel *perf_evlist__id2evsel(struct perf_evlist *evlist, u64 id);
 
 struct perf_sample_id *perf_evlist__id2sid(struct perf_evlist *evlist, u64 id);