diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index 868e086a..610225b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -312,8 +312,12 @@ static int read_counter(struct perf_evsel *counter)
 			struct perf_counts_values *count;
 
 			count = perf_counts(counter->counts, cpu, thread);
-			if (perf_evsel__read(counter, cpu, thread, count))
+			if (perf_evsel__read(counter, cpu, thread, count)) {
+				counter->counts->scaled = -1;
+				perf_counts(counter->counts, cpu, thread)->ena = 0;
+				perf_counts(counter->counts, cpu, thread)->run = 0;
 				return -1;
+			}
 
 			if (STAT_RECORD) {
 				if (perf_evsel__write_stat_event(counter, cpu, thread, count)) {
@@ -338,12 +342,14 @@ static int read_counter(struct perf_evsel *counter)
 static void read_counters(void)
 {
 	struct perf_evsel *counter;
+	int ret;
 
 	evlist__for_each_entry(evsel_list, counter) {
-		if (read_counter(counter))
+		ret = read_counter(counter);
+		if (ret)
 			pr_debug("failed to read counter %s\n", counter->name);
 
-		if (perf_stat_process_counter(&stat_config, counter))
+		if (ret == 0 && perf_stat_process_counter(&stat_config, counter))
 			pr_warning("failed to process counter %s\n", counter->name);
 	}
 }