diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c b/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c
index 12b322fa3475..eeb68bb1972d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ int test__pmu(void)
 		if (ret)
 			break;
 
-		ret = perf_pmu__config_terms(&formats, &attr, terms);
+		ret = perf_pmu__config_terms(&formats, &attr, terms, false);
 		if (ret)
 			break;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index e75628813968..61be3e695ec2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -643,7 +643,12 @@ int parse_events_add_pmu(struct list_head *list, int *idx,
 	if (!pmu)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	memset(&attr, 0, sizeof(attr));
+	if (pmu->default_config) {
+		memcpy(&attr, pmu->default_config,
+		       sizeof(struct perf_event_attr));
+	} else {
+		memset(&attr, 0, sizeof(attr));
+	}
 
 	if (!head_config) {
 		attr.type = pmu->type;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
index 9bf582750561..438bb261f391 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <api/fs/fs.h>
 #include <locale.h>
@@ -387,6 +388,12 @@ static struct cpu_map *pmu_cpumask(const char *name)
 	return cpus;
 }
 
+struct perf_event_attr *__attribute__((weak))
+perf_pmu__get_default_config(struct perf_pmu *pmu __maybe_unused)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 static struct perf_pmu *pmu_lookup(const char *name)
 {
 	struct perf_pmu *pmu;
@@ -421,6 +428,9 @@ static struct perf_pmu *pmu_lookup(const char *name)
 	pmu->name = strdup(name);
 	pmu->type = type;
 	list_add_tail(&pmu->list, &pmus);
+
+	pmu->default_config = perf_pmu__get_default_config(pmu);
+
 	return pmu;
 }
 
@@ -479,28 +489,24 @@ pmu_find_format(struct list_head *formats, char *name)
 }
 
 /*
- * Returns value based on the format definition (format parameter)
+ * Sets value based on the format definition (format parameter)
  * and unformated value (value parameter).
- *
- * TODO maybe optimize a little ;)
  */
-static __u64 pmu_format_value(unsigned long *format, __u64 value)
+static void pmu_format_value(unsigned long *format, __u64 value, __u64 *v,
+			     bool zero)
 {
 	unsigned long fbit, vbit;
-	__u64 v = 0;
 
 	for (fbit = 0, vbit = 0; fbit < PERF_PMU_FORMAT_BITS; fbit++) {
 
 		if (!test_bit(fbit, format))
 			continue;
 
-		if (!(value & (1llu << vbit++)))
-			continue;
-
-		v |= (1llu << fbit);
+		if (value & (1llu << vbit++))
+			*v |= (1llu << fbit);
+		else if (zero)
+			*v &= ~(1llu << fbit);
 	}
-
-	return v;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -509,7 +515,8 @@ static __u64 pmu_format_value(unsigned long *format, __u64 value)
  */
 static int pmu_config_term(struct list_head *formats,
 			   struct perf_event_attr *attr,
-			   struct parse_events_term *term)
+			   struct parse_events_term *term,
+			   bool zero)
 {
 	struct perf_pmu_format *format;
 	__u64 *vp;
@@ -548,18 +555,19 @@ static int pmu_config_term(struct list_head *formats,
 	 * non-hardcoded terms, here's the place to translate
 	 * them into value.
 	 */
-	*vp |= pmu_format_value(format->bits, term->val.num);
+	pmu_format_value(format->bits, term->val.num, vp, zero);
 	return 0;
 }
 
 int perf_pmu__config_terms(struct list_head *formats,
 			   struct perf_event_attr *attr,
-			   struct list_head *head_terms)
+			   struct list_head *head_terms,
+			   bool zero)
 {
 	struct parse_events_term *term;
 
 	list_for_each_entry(term, head_terms, list)
-		if (pmu_config_term(formats, attr, term))
+		if (pmu_config_term(formats, attr, term, zero))
 			return -EINVAL;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -573,8 +581,10 @@ int perf_pmu__config_terms(struct list_head *formats,
 int perf_pmu__config(struct perf_pmu *pmu, struct perf_event_attr *attr,
 		     struct list_head *head_terms)
 {
+	bool zero = !!pmu->default_config;
+
 	attr->type = pmu->type;
-	return perf_pmu__config_terms(&pmu->format, attr, head_terms);
+	return perf_pmu__config_terms(&pmu->format, attr, head_terms, zero);
 }
 
 static struct perf_pmu_alias *pmu_find_alias(struct perf_pmu *pmu,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.h b/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
index 1c1e2eecbe1f..413b9a63c38d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
@@ -13,9 +13,12 @@ enum {
 
 #define PERF_PMU_FORMAT_BITS 64
 
+struct perf_event_attr;
+
 struct perf_pmu {
 	char *name;
 	__u32 type;
+	struct perf_event_attr *default_config;
 	struct cpu_map *cpus;
 	struct list_head format;  /* HEAD struct perf_pmu_format -> list */
 	struct list_head aliases; /* HEAD struct perf_pmu_alias -> list */
@@ -27,7 +30,8 @@ int perf_pmu__config(struct perf_pmu *pmu, struct perf_event_attr *attr,
 		     struct list_head *head_terms);
 int perf_pmu__config_terms(struct list_head *formats,
 			   struct perf_event_attr *attr,
-			   struct list_head *head_terms);
+			   struct list_head *head_terms,
+			   bool zero);
 int perf_pmu__check_alias(struct perf_pmu *pmu, struct list_head *head_terms,
 			  const char **unit, double *scale);
 struct list_head *perf_pmu__alias(struct perf_pmu *pmu,
@@ -46,4 +50,7 @@ void print_pmu_events(const char *event_glob, bool name_only);
 bool pmu_have_event(const char *pname, const char *name);
 
 int perf_pmu__test(void);
+
+struct perf_event_attr *perf_pmu__get_default_config(struct perf_pmu *pmu);
+
 #endif /* __PMU_H */