diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index e6760380d731..89546228b8ed 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -165,6 +165,13 @@ void perf_evlist__add(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *entry)
 	__perf_evlist__propagate_maps(evlist, entry);
 }
 
+void perf_evlist__remove(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *evsel)
+{
+	evsel->evlist = NULL;
+	list_del_init(&evsel->node);
+	evlist->nr_entries -= 1;
+}
+
 void perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 				   struct list_head *list)
 {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index 0edf0d4f4efa..66bc9d4c0869 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ void perf_evlist__exit(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 void perf_evlist__delete(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 
 void perf_evlist__add(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *entry);
+void perf_evlist__remove(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 int perf_evlist__add_default(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 int __perf_evlist__add_default_attrs(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 				     struct perf_event_attr *attrs, size_t nr_attrs);