diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c b/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c
index 1b27fd2de9b9..0517deb4cb1c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <internal/evlist.h>
 #include <internal/evsel.h>
+#include <linux/zalloc.h>
 
 void perf_evlist__init(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 {
@@ -23,3 +24,13 @@ void perf_evlist__remove(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 	list_del_init(&evsel->node);
 	evlist->nr_entries -= 1;
 }
+
+struct perf_evlist *perf_evlist__new(void)
+{
+	struct perf_evlist *evlist = zalloc(sizeof(*evlist));
+
+	if (evlist != NULL)
+		perf_evlist__init(evlist);
+
+	return evlist;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h
index e0c87995c6ff..7255a60869a1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h
@@ -12,5 +12,6 @@ LIBPERF_API void perf_evlist__add(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 				  struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 LIBPERF_API void perf_evlist__remove(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 				     struct perf_evsel *evsel);
+LIBPERF_API struct perf_evlist *perf_evlist__new(void);
 
 #endif /* __LIBPERF_EVLIST_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map b/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
index e38473a8f32f..5e685d6c7a95 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ LIBPERF_0.0.1 {
 		perf_thread_map__get;
 		perf_thread_map__put;
 		perf_evsel__init;
+		perf_evlist__new;
 		perf_evlist__init;
 		perf_evlist__add;
 		perf_evlist__remove;