diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index 49b90374232c..055ce83dd6f2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ static void perf_stat__reset_stats(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 
 	evlist__for_each(evlist, evsel) {
 		perf_evsel__reset_stat_priv(evsel);
-		perf_evsel__reset_counts(evsel, perf_evsel__nr_cpus(evsel));
+		perf_evsel__reset_counts(evsel);
 	}
 
 	perf_stat__reset_shadow_stats();
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/openat-syscall.c b/tools/perf/tests/openat-syscall.c
index e86fc477a74f..bd882f09ebbc 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/openat-syscall.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/openat-syscall.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ int test__openat_syscall_event(void)
 
 	if (perf_counts(evsel->counts, 0)->val != nr_openat_calls) {
 		pr_debug("perf_evsel__read_on_cpu: expected to intercept %d calls, got %" PRIu64 "\n",
-			 nr_openat_calls, evsel->counts->cpu[0].val);
+			 nr_openat_calls, perf_counts(evsel->counts, 0)->val);
 		goto out_close_fd;
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/stat.c b/tools/perf/util/stat.c
index 4014b709f956..453480aa7650 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/stat.c
@@ -97,26 +97,39 @@ void perf_stat_evsel_id_init(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 
 struct perf_counts *perf_counts__new(int ncpus)
 {
-	int size = sizeof(struct perf_counts) +
-		   ncpus * sizeof(struct perf_counts_values);
+	struct perf_counts *counts = zalloc(sizeof(*counts));
 
-	return zalloc(size);
+	if (counts) {
+		struct xyarray *cpu;
+
+		cpu = xyarray__new(ncpus, 1, sizeof(struct perf_counts_values));
+		if (!cpu) {
+			free(counts);
+			return NULL;
+		}
+
+		counts->cpu = cpu;
+	}
+
+	return counts;
 }
 
 void perf_counts__delete(struct perf_counts *counts)
 {
-	free(counts);
+	if (counts) {
+		xyarray__delete(counts->cpu);
+		free(counts);
+	}
 }
 
-static void perf_counts__reset(struct perf_counts *counts, int ncpus)
+static void perf_counts__reset(struct perf_counts *counts)
 {
-	memset(counts, 0, (sizeof(*counts) +
-	       (ncpus * sizeof(struct perf_counts_values))));
+	xyarray__reset(counts->cpu);
 }
 
-void perf_evsel__reset_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus)
+void perf_evsel__reset_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 {
-	perf_counts__reset(evsel->counts, ncpus);
+	perf_counts__reset(evsel->counts);
 }
 
 int perf_evsel__alloc_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/stat.h b/tools/perf/util/stat.h
index 5e43348836a6..6d07612545e0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/stat.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/stat.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <linux/types.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include "xyarray.h"
 
 struct stats
 {
@@ -45,13 +46,13 @@ struct perf_counts_values {
 struct perf_counts {
 	s8			  scaled;
 	struct perf_counts_values aggr;
-	struct perf_counts_values cpu[];
+	struct xyarray		  *cpu;
 };
 
 static inline struct perf_counts_values*
 perf_counts(struct perf_counts *counts, int cpu)
 {
-	return &counts->cpu[cpu];
+	return xyarray__entry(counts->cpu, cpu, 0);
 }
 
 void update_stats(struct stats *stats, u64 val);
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ void perf_stat__print_shadow_stats(FILE *out, struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 struct perf_counts *perf_counts__new(int ncpus);
 void perf_counts__delete(struct perf_counts *counts);
 
-void perf_evsel__reset_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus);
+void perf_evsel__reset_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 int perf_evsel__alloc_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus);
 void perf_evsel__free_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 #endif