diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c
index 2bda212a0010..5a469d3d0c66 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c
@@ -484,18 +484,145 @@ static inline int is_x86_event(struct perf_event *event)
 	return event->pmu == &pmu;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Event scheduler state:
+ *
+ * Assign events iterating over all events and counters, beginning
+ * with events with least weights first. Keep the current iterator
+ * state in struct sched_state.
+ */
+struct sched_state {
+	int	weight;
+	int	event;		/* event index */
+	int	counter;	/* counter index */
+	int	unassigned;	/* number of events to be assigned left */
+	unsigned long used[BITS_TO_LONGS(X86_PMC_IDX_MAX)];
+};
+
+struct perf_sched {
+	int			max_weight;
+	int			max_events;
+	struct event_constraint	**constraints;
+	struct sched_state	state;
+};
+
+/*
+ * Initialize interator that runs through all events and counters.
+ */
+static void perf_sched_init(struct perf_sched *sched, struct event_constraint **c,
+			    int num, int wmin, int wmax)
+{
+	int idx;
+
+	memset(sched, 0, sizeof(*sched));
+	sched->max_events	= num;
+	sched->max_weight	= wmax;
+	sched->constraints	= c;
+
+	for (idx = 0; idx < num; idx++) {
+		if (c[idx]->weight == wmin)
+			break;
+	}
+
+	sched->state.event	= idx;		/* start with min weight */
+	sched->state.weight	= wmin;
+	sched->state.unassigned	= num;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Select a counter for the current event to schedule. Return true on
+ * success.
+ */
+static bool perf_sched_find_counter(struct perf_sched *sched)
+{
+	struct event_constraint *c;
+	int idx;
+
+	if (!sched->state.unassigned)
+		return false;
+
+	if (sched->state.event >= sched->max_events)
+		return false;
+
+	c = sched->constraints[sched->state.event];
+
+	/* Grab the first unused counter starting with idx */
+	idx = sched->state.counter;
+	for_each_set_bit_cont(idx, c->idxmsk, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX) {
+		if (!__test_and_set_bit(idx, sched->state.used))
+			break;
+	}
+	sched->state.counter = idx;
+
+	if (idx >= X86_PMC_IDX_MAX)
+		return false;
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Go through all unassigned events and find the next one to schedule.
+ * Take events with the least weight first. Return true on success.
+ */
+static bool perf_sched_next_event(struct perf_sched *sched)
+{
+	struct event_constraint *c;
+
+	if (!sched->state.unassigned || !--sched->state.unassigned)
+		return false;
+
+	do {
+		/* next event */
+		sched->state.event++;
+		if (sched->state.event >= sched->max_events) {
+			/* next weight */
+			sched->state.event = 0;
+			sched->state.weight++;
+			if (sched->state.weight > sched->max_weight)
+				return false;
+		}
+		c = sched->constraints[sched->state.event];
+	} while (c->weight != sched->state.weight);
+
+	sched->state.counter = 0;	/* start with first counter */
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Assign a counter for each event.
+ */
+static int perf_assign_events(struct event_constraint **constraints, int n,
+			      int wmin, int wmax, int *assign)
+{
+	struct perf_sched sched;
+
+	perf_sched_init(&sched, constraints, n, wmin, wmax);
+
+	do {
+		if (!perf_sched_find_counter(&sched))
+			break;	/* failed */
+		if (assign)
+			assign[sched.state.event] = sched.state.counter;
+	} while (perf_sched_next_event(&sched));
+
+	return sched.state.unassigned;
+}
+
 int x86_schedule_events(struct cpu_hw_events *cpuc, int n, int *assign)
 {
 	struct event_constraint *c, *constraints[X86_PMC_IDX_MAX];
 	unsigned long used_mask[BITS_TO_LONGS(X86_PMC_IDX_MAX)];
-	int i, j, w, wmax, num = 0;
+	int i, wmin, wmax, num = 0;
 	struct hw_perf_event *hwc;
 
 	bitmap_zero(used_mask, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+	for (i = 0, wmin = X86_PMC_IDX_MAX, wmax = 0; i < n; i++) {
 		c = x86_pmu.get_event_constraints(cpuc, cpuc->event_list[i]);
 		constraints[i] = c;
+		wmin = min(wmin, c->weight);
+		wmax = max(wmax, c->weight);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -521,59 +648,11 @@ int x86_schedule_events(struct cpu_hw_events *cpuc, int n, int *assign)
 		if (assign)
 			assign[i] = hwc->idx;
 	}
-	if (i == n)
-		goto done;
 
-	/*
-	 * begin slow path
-	 */
+	/* slow path */
+	if (i != n)
+		num = perf_assign_events(constraints, n, wmin, wmax, assign);
 
-	bitmap_zero(used_mask, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX);
-
-	/*
-	 * weight = number of possible counters
-	 *
-	 * 1    = most constrained, only works on one counter
-	 * wmax = least constrained, works on any counter
-	 *
-	 * assign events to counters starting with most
-	 * constrained events.
-	 */
-	wmax = x86_pmu.num_counters;
-
-	/*
-	 * when fixed event counters are present,
-	 * wmax is incremented by 1 to account
-	 * for one more choice
-	 */
-	if (x86_pmu.num_counters_fixed)
-		wmax++;
-
-	for (w = 1, num = n; num && w <= wmax; w++) {
-		/* for each event */
-		for (i = 0; num && i < n; i++) {
-			c = constraints[i];
-			hwc = &cpuc->event_list[i]->hw;
-
-			if (c->weight != w)
-				continue;
-
-			for_each_set_bit(j, c->idxmsk, X86_PMC_IDX_MAX) {
-				if (!test_bit(j, used_mask))
-					break;
-			}
-
-			if (j == X86_PMC_IDX_MAX)
-				break;
-
-			__set_bit(j, used_mask);
-
-			if (assign)
-				assign[i] = j;
-			num--;
-		}
-	}
-done:
 	/*
 	 * scheduling failed or is just a simulation,
 	 * free resources if necessary
diff --git a/include/linux/bitops.h b/include/linux/bitops.h
index a3ef66a2a083..3c1063acb2ab 100644
--- a/include/linux/bitops.h
+++ b/include/linux/bitops.h
@@ -22,8 +22,14 @@ extern unsigned long __sw_hweight64(__u64 w);
 #include <asm/bitops.h>
 
 #define for_each_set_bit(bit, addr, size) \
-	for ((bit) = find_first_bit((addr), (size)); \
-	     (bit) < (size); \
+	for ((bit) = find_first_bit((addr), (size));		\
+	     (bit) < (size);					\
+	     (bit) = find_next_bit((addr), (size), (bit) + 1))
+
+/* same as for_each_set_bit() but use bit as value to start with */
+#define for_each_set_bit_cont(bit, addr, size) \
+	for ((bit) = find_next_bit((addr), (size), (bit));	\
+	     (bit) < (size);					\
 	     (bit) = find_next_bit((addr), (size), (bit) + 1))
 
 static __inline__ int get_bitmask_order(unsigned int count)