diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
index af4bedf4cf98..d2fb597c9a8c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
@@ -539,9 +539,10 @@ static bool pmu_is_uncore(const char *name)
 
 /*
  *  PMU CORE devices have different name other than cpu in sysfs on some
- *  platforms. looking for possible sysfs files to identify as core device.
+ *  platforms.
+ *  Looking for possible sysfs files to identify the arm core device.
  */
-static int is_pmu_core(const char *name)
+static int is_arm_pmu_core(const char *name)
 {
 	struct stat st;
 	char path[PATH_MAX];
@@ -550,12 +551,6 @@ static int is_pmu_core(const char *name)
 	if (!sysfs)
 		return 0;
 
-	/* Look for cpu sysfs (x86 and others) */
-	scnprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s/bus/event_source/devices/cpu", sysfs);
-	if ((stat(path, &st) == 0) &&
-			(strncmp(name, "cpu", strlen("cpu")) == 0))
-		return 1;
-
 	/* Look for cpu sysfs (specific to arm) */
 	scnprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s/bus/event_source/devices/%s/cpus",
 				sysfs, name);
@@ -668,6 +663,7 @@ static void pmu_add_cpu_aliases(struct list_head *head, struct perf_pmu *pmu)
 	struct pmu_events_map *map;
 	struct pmu_event *pe;
 	const char *name = pmu->name;
+	const char *pname;
 
 	map = perf_pmu__find_map(pmu);
 	if (!map)
@@ -686,11 +682,9 @@ static void pmu_add_cpu_aliases(struct list_head *head, struct perf_pmu *pmu)
 			break;
 		}
 
-		if (!is_pmu_core(name)) {
-			/* check for uncore devices */
-			if (pe->pmu == NULL)
-				continue;
-			if (strncmp(pe->pmu, name, strlen(pe->pmu)))
+		if (!is_arm_pmu_core(name)) {
+			pname = pe->pmu ? pe->pmu : "cpu";
+			if (strncmp(pname, name, strlen(pname)))
 				continue;
 		}