diff --git a/kernel/events/core.c b/kernel/events/core.c
index 3de0b98c4414..407dad6cf89a 100644
--- a/kernel/events/core.c
+++ b/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -5729,9 +5729,6 @@ static void perf_output_read_one(struct perf_output_handle *handle,
 	__output_copy(handle, values, n * sizeof(u64));
 }
 
-/*
- * XXX PERF_FORMAT_GROUP vs inherited events seems difficult.
- */
 static void perf_output_read_group(struct perf_output_handle *handle,
 			    struct perf_event *event,
 			    u64 enabled, u64 running)
@@ -5776,6 +5773,13 @@ static void perf_output_read_group(struct perf_output_handle *handle,
 #define PERF_FORMAT_TOTAL_TIMES (PERF_FORMAT_TOTAL_TIME_ENABLED|\
 				 PERF_FORMAT_TOTAL_TIME_RUNNING)
 
+/*
+ * XXX PERF_SAMPLE_READ vs inherited events seems difficult.
+ *
+ * The problem is that its both hard and excessively expensive to iterate the
+ * child list, not to mention that its impossible to IPI the children running
+ * on another CPU, from interrupt/NMI context.
+ */
 static void perf_output_read(struct perf_output_handle *handle,
 			     struct perf_event *event)
 {
@@ -9462,9 +9466,10 @@ perf_event_alloc(struct perf_event_attr *attr, int cpu,
 	local64_set(&hwc->period_left, hwc->sample_period);
 
 	/*
-	 * we currently do not support PERF_FORMAT_GROUP on inherited events
+	 * We currently do not support PERF_SAMPLE_READ on inherited events.
+	 * See perf_output_read().
 	 */
-	if (attr->inherit && (attr->read_format & PERF_FORMAT_GROUP))
+	if (attr->inherit && (attr->sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_READ))
 		goto err_ns;
 
 	if (!has_branch_stack(event))