diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index a9f06715e44d..784ed6d6e0d6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@
 #include <locale.h>
 
 #define DEFAULT_SEPARATOR	" "
+#define CNTR_NOT_SUPPORTED	"<not supported>"
+#define CNTR_NOT_COUNTED	"<not counted>"
 
 static struct perf_event_attr default_attrs[] = {
 
@@ -448,6 +450,7 @@ static int run_perf_stat(int argc __used, const char **argv)
 				if (verbose)
 					ui__warning("%s event is not supported by the kernel.\n",
 						    event_name(counter));
+				counter->supported = false;
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -466,6 +469,7 @@ static int run_perf_stat(int argc __used, const char **argv)
 			die("Not all events could be opened.\n");
 			return -1;
 		}
+		counter->supported = true;
 	}
 
 	if (perf_evlist__set_filters(evsel_list)) {
@@ -861,7 +865,7 @@ static void print_counter_aggr(struct perf_evsel *counter)
 	if (scaled == -1) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "%*s%s%*s",
 			csv_output ? 0 : 18,
-			"<not counted>",
+			counter->supported ? CNTR_NOT_COUNTED : CNTR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
 			csv_sep,
 			csv_output ? 0 : -24,
 			event_name(counter));
@@ -914,7 +918,8 @@ static void print_counter(struct perf_evsel *counter)
 				csv_output ? 0 : -4,
 				evsel_list->cpus->map[cpu], csv_sep,
 				csv_output ? 0 : 18,
-				"<not counted>", csv_sep,
+				counter->supported ? CNTR_NOT_COUNTED : CNTR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
+				csv_sep,
 				csv_output ? 0 : -24,
 				event_name(counter));
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
index 7e9366e4490b..e9a31554e265 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ struct perf_evsel {
 		off_t		id_offset;
 	};
 	struct cgroup_sel	*cgrp;
+	bool 			supported;
 };
 
 struct cpu_map;