diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 766fa0a91a32..f8fd14fb62ec 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -700,6 +700,7 @@ const struct option record_options[] = {
 	OPT_BOOLEAN('d', "data", &record.opts.sample_address,
 		    "Sample addresses"),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN('T', "timestamp", &record.opts.sample_time, "Sample timestamps"),
+	OPT_BOOLEAN('P', "period", &record.opts.period, "Sample period"),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN('n', "no-samples", &record.opts.no_samples,
 		    "don't sample"),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN('N', "no-buildid-cache", &record.no_buildid_cache,
diff --git a/tools/perf/perf.h b/tools/perf/perf.h
index ea804f5a8cc2..64f8bee31ced 100644
--- a/tools/perf/perf.h
+++ b/tools/perf/perf.h
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ struct perf_record_opts {
 	bool	     sample_time;
 	bool	     sample_id_all_avail;
 	bool	     system_wide;
+	bool	     period;
 	unsigned int freq;
 	unsigned int mmap_pages;
 	unsigned int user_freq;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 4a8c8b02e9cc..60ad0286759e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ void perf_evsel__config(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct perf_record_opts *opts)
 	if (opts->system_wide)
 		attr->sample_type	|= PERF_SAMPLE_CPU;
 
+	if (opts->period)
+		attr->sample_type	|= PERF_SAMPLE_PERIOD;
+
 	if (opts->sample_id_all_avail &&
 	    (opts->sample_time || opts->system_wide ||
 	     !opts->no_inherit || opts->cpu_list))