diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index e720ba7b801e..d0605689bad9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -462,8 +462,13 @@ static int run_perf_stat(int argc __used, const char **argv)
 
 	list_for_each_entry(counter, &evsel_list->entries, node) {
 		if (create_perf_stat_counter(counter, first) < 0) {
+			/*
+			 * PPC returns ENXIO for HW counters until 2.6.37
+			 * (behavior changed with commit b0a873e).
+			 */
 			if (errno == EINVAL || errno == ENOSYS ||
-			    errno == ENOENT || errno == EOPNOTSUPP) {
+			    errno == ENOENT || errno == EOPNOTSUPP ||
+			    errno == ENXIO) {
 				if (verbose)
 					ui__warning("%s event is not supported by the kernel.\n",
 						    event_name(counter));