diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index 42ea4e947eb8..0d3b73996255 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -302,6 +302,17 @@ static int perf_evlist__id_add_fd(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 {
 	u64 read_data[4] = { 0, };
 	int id_idx = 1; /* The first entry is the counter value */
+	u64 id;
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = ioctl(fd, PERF_EVENT_IOC_ID, &id);
+	if (!ret)
+		goto add;
+
+	if (errno != ENOTTY)
+		return -1;
+
+	/* Legacy way to get event id.. All hail to old kernels! */
 
 	if (!(evsel->attr.read_format & PERF_FORMAT_ID) ||
 	    read(fd, &read_data, sizeof(read_data)) == -1)
@@ -312,7 +323,10 @@ static int perf_evlist__id_add_fd(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 	if (evsel->attr.read_format & PERF_FORMAT_TOTAL_TIME_RUNNING)
 		++id_idx;
 
-	perf_evlist__id_add(evlist, evsel, cpu, thread, read_data[id_idx]);
+	id = read_data[id_idx];
+
+ add:
+	perf_evlist__id_add(evlist, evsel, cpu, thread, id);
 	return 0;
 }