diff --git a/tools/perf/util/cgroup.c b/tools/perf/util/cgroup.c
index e99b41f9be45..cd978c240e0d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/cgroup.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/cgroup.c
@@ -224,6 +224,19 @@ static int add_cgroup_name(const char *fpath, const struct stat *sb __maybe_unus
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int check_and_add_cgroup_name(const char *fpath)
+{
+	struct cgroup_name *cn;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(cn, &cgroup_list, list) {
+		if (!strcmp(cn->name, fpath))
+			return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* pretend if it's added by ftw() */
+	return add_cgroup_name(fpath, NULL, FTW_D, NULL);
+}
+
 static void release_cgroup_list(void)
 {
 	struct cgroup_name *cn;
@@ -242,7 +255,7 @@ static int list_cgroups(const char *str)
 	struct cgroup_name *cn;
 	char *s;
 
-	/* use given name as is - for testing purpose */
+	/* use given name as is when no regex is given */
 	for (;;) {
 		p = strchr(str, ',');
 		e = p ? p : eos;
@@ -253,13 +266,13 @@ static int list_cgroups(const char *str)
 			s = strndup(str, e - str);
 			if (!s)
 				return -1;
-			/* pretend if it's added by ftw() */
-			ret = add_cgroup_name(s, NULL, FTW_D, NULL);
+
+			ret = check_and_add_cgroup_name(s);
 			free(s);
-			if (ret)
+			if (ret < 0)
 				return -1;
 		} else {
-			if (add_cgroup_name("", NULL, FTW_D, NULL) < 0)
+			if (check_and_add_cgroup_name("/") < 0)
 				return -1;
 		}