diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index d248fca..1e15df1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -1091,12 +1091,12 @@
 static bool is_event_supported(u8 type, unsigned config)
 {
 	bool ret = true;
+	int open_return;
 	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
 	struct perf_event_attr attr = {
 		.type = type,
 		.config = config,
 		.disabled = 1,
-		.exclude_kernel = 1,
 	};
 	struct {
 		struct thread_map map;
@@ -1108,7 +1108,20 @@
 
 	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&attr);
 	if (evsel) {
-		ret = perf_evsel__open(evsel, NULL, &tmap.map) >= 0;
+		open_return = perf_evsel__open(evsel, NULL, &tmap.map);
+		ret = open_return >= 0;
+
+		if (open_return == -EACCES) {
+			/*
+			 * This happens if the paranoid value
+			 * /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid is set to 2
+			 * Re-run with exclude_kernel set; we don't do that
+			 * by default as some ARM machines do not support it.
+			 *
+			 */
+			evsel->attr.exclude_kernel = 1;
+			ret = perf_evsel__open(evsel, NULL, &tmap.map) >= 0;
+		}
 		perf_evsel__delete(evsel);
 	}