diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index 08cedb643ea6ec3d7ec8255895bdc45ec9880f68..ed20f4379956594a908299f08c9d2ef4ac140dc2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -230,18 +230,33 @@ void perf_evlist__set_leader(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 	}
 }
 
-void perf_event_attr__set_max_precise_ip(struct perf_event_attr *attr)
+void perf_event_attr__set_max_precise_ip(struct perf_event_attr *pattr)
 {
-	attr->precise_ip = 3;
+	struct perf_event_attr attr = {
+		.type		= PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE,
+		.config		= PERF_COUNT_HW_CPU_CYCLES,
+		.exclude_kernel	= 1,
+		.precise_ip	= 3,
+	};
 
-	while (attr->precise_ip != 0) {
-		int fd = sys_perf_event_open(attr, 0, -1, -1, 0);
+	event_attr_init(&attr);
+
+	/*
+	 * Unnamed union member, not supported as struct member named
+	 * initializer in older compilers such as gcc 4.4.7
+	 */
+	attr.sample_period = 1;
+
+	while (attr.precise_ip != 0) {
+		int fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1, 0);
 		if (fd != -1) {
 			close(fd);
 			break;
 		}
-		--attr->precise_ip;
+		--attr.precise_ip;
 	}
+
+	pattr->precise_ip = attr.precise_ip;
 }
 
 int __perf_evlist__add_default(struct perf_evlist *evlist, bool precise)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index dfe2958e628762c1f089e65b1653fe4dd3c97abe..3bbf73e979c00aa4f9c363e9d224440190425457 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -294,20 +294,12 @@ struct perf_evsel *perf_evsel__new_cycles(bool precise)
 
 	if (!precise)
 		goto new_event;
-	/*
-	 * Unnamed union member, not supported as struct member named
-	 * initializer in older compilers such as gcc 4.4.7
-	 *
-	 * Just for probing the precise_ip:
-	 */
-	attr.sample_period = 1;
 
 	perf_event_attr__set_max_precise_ip(&attr);
 	/*
 	 * Now let the usual logic to set up the perf_event_attr defaults
 	 * to kick in when we return and before perf_evsel__open() is called.
 	 */
-	attr.sample_period = 0;
 new_event:
 	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&attr);
 	if (evsel == NULL)