diff --git a/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/evlist.c
index 0b0951030a2f..f924246eff78 100644
--- a/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/evlist.c
@@ -17,3 +17,20 @@ int arch_evlist__add_default_attrs(struct evlist *evlist)
 	else
 		return parse_events(evlist, TOPDOWN_L1_EVENTS, NULL);
 }
+
+struct evsel *arch_evlist__leader(struct list_head *list)
+{
+	struct evsel *evsel, *first;
+
+	first = list_first_entry(list, struct evsel, core.node);
+
+	if (!pmu_have_event("cpu", "slots"))
+		return first;
+
+	__evlist__for_each_entry(list, evsel) {
+		if (evsel->pmu_name && !strcmp(evsel->pmu_name, "cpu") &&
+			evsel->name && strstr(evsel->name, "slots"))
+			return evsel;
+	}
+	return first;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index 97bfb8d0be4f..993437ffe429 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ int __evlist__add_default_attrs(struct evlist *evlist,
 	__evlist__add_default_attrs(evlist, array, ARRAY_SIZE(array))
 
 int arch_evlist__add_default_attrs(struct evlist *evlist);
+struct evsel *arch_evlist__leader(struct list_head *list);
 
 int evlist__add_dummy(struct evlist *evlist);
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 1d68167ab611..acf20ce98ce9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -1824,6 +1824,11 @@ parse_events__set_leader_for_uncore_aliase(char *name, struct list_head *list,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+__weak struct evsel *arch_evlist__leader(struct list_head *list)
+{
+	return list_first_entry(list, struct evsel, core.node);
+}
+
 void parse_events__set_leader(char *name, struct list_head *list,
 			      struct parse_events_state *parse_state)
 {
@@ -1837,9 +1842,10 @@ void parse_events__set_leader(char *name, struct list_head *list,
 	if (parse_events__set_leader_for_uncore_aliase(name, list, parse_state))
 		return;
 
-	leader = list_first_entry(list, struct evsel, core.node);
+	leader = arch_evlist__leader(list);
 	__perf_evlist__set_leader(list, &leader->core);
 	leader->group_name = name ? strdup(name) : NULL;
+	list_move(&leader->core.node, list);
 }
 
 /* list_event is assumed to point to malloc'ed memory */