diff --git a/kernel/perf_counter.c b/kernel/perf_counter.c
index 0a45490f4029..c2b19c111718 100644
--- a/kernel/perf_counter.c
+++ b/kernel/perf_counter.c
@@ -1508,11 +1508,13 @@ static void free_counter(struct perf_counter *counter)
 {
 	perf_pending_sync(counter);
 
-	atomic_dec(&nr_counters);
-	if (counter->attr.mmap)
-		atomic_dec(&nr_mmap_counters);
-	if (counter->attr.comm)
-		atomic_dec(&nr_comm_counters);
+	if (!counter->parent) {
+		atomic_dec(&nr_counters);
+		if (counter->attr.mmap)
+			atomic_dec(&nr_mmap_counters);
+		if (counter->attr.comm)
+			atomic_dec(&nr_comm_counters);
+	}
 
 	if (counter->destroy)
 		counter->destroy(counter);
@@ -3515,6 +3517,8 @@ static void sw_perf_counter_destroy(struct perf_counter *counter)
 {
 	u64 event = counter->attr.config;
 
+	WARN_ON(counter->parent);
+
 	atomic_dec(&perf_swcounter_enabled[event]);
 }
 
@@ -3551,8 +3555,10 @@ static const struct pmu *sw_perf_counter_init(struct perf_counter *counter)
 	case PERF_COUNT_SW_PAGE_FAULTS_MAJ:
 	case PERF_COUNT_SW_CONTEXT_SWITCHES:
 	case PERF_COUNT_SW_CPU_MIGRATIONS:
-		atomic_inc(&perf_swcounter_enabled[event]);
-		counter->destroy = sw_perf_counter_destroy;
+		if (!counter->parent) {
+			atomic_inc(&perf_swcounter_enabled[event]);
+			counter->destroy = sw_perf_counter_destroy;
+		}
 		pmu = &perf_ops_generic;
 		break;
 	}
@@ -3663,11 +3669,13 @@ done:
 
 	counter->pmu = pmu;
 
-	atomic_inc(&nr_counters);
-	if (counter->attr.mmap)
-		atomic_inc(&nr_mmap_counters);
-	if (counter->attr.comm)
-		atomic_inc(&nr_comm_counters);
+	if (!counter->parent) {
+		atomic_inc(&nr_counters);
+		if (counter->attr.mmap)
+			atomic_inc(&nr_mmap_counters);
+		if (counter->attr.comm)
+			atomic_inc(&nr_comm_counters);
+	}
 
 	return counter;
 }