diff --git a/tools/lib/api/fd/array.c b/tools/lib/api/fd/array.c
index 89f9a2193c2d..01b3b89f9797 100644
--- a/tools/lib/api/fd/array.c
+++ b/tools/lib/api/fd/array.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <poll.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 void fdarray__init(struct fdarray *fda, int nr_autogrow)
 {
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ void fdarray__init(struct fdarray *fda, int nr_autogrow)
 
 int fdarray__grow(struct fdarray *fda, int nr)
 {
-	void *priv;
+	struct priv *priv;
 	int nr_alloc = fda->nr_alloc + nr;
 	size_t psize = sizeof(fda->priv[0]) * nr_alloc;
 	size_t size  = sizeof(struct pollfd) * nr_alloc;
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@ int fdarray__grow(struct fdarray *fda, int nr)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
+	memset(&entries[fda->nr_alloc], 0, sizeof(struct pollfd) * nr);
+	memset(&priv[fda->nr_alloc], 0, sizeof(fda->priv[0]) * nr);
+
 	fda->nr_alloc = nr_alloc;
 	fda->entries  = entries;
 	fda->priv     = priv;
@@ -69,7 +73,7 @@ void fdarray__delete(struct fdarray *fda)
 	free(fda);
 }
 
-int fdarray__add(struct fdarray *fda, int fd, short revents)
+int fdarray__add(struct fdarray *fda, int fd, short revents, enum fdarray_flags flags)
 {
 	int pos = fda->nr;
 
@@ -79,6 +83,7 @@ int fdarray__add(struct fdarray *fda, int fd, short revents)
 
 	fda->entries[fda->nr].fd     = fd;
 	fda->entries[fda->nr].events = revents;
+	fda->priv[fda->nr].flags = flags;
 	fda->nr++;
 	return pos;
 }
diff --git a/tools/lib/api/fd/array.h b/tools/lib/api/fd/array.h
index b39557d1a88f..7fcf21a33c0c 100644
--- a/tools/lib/api/fd/array.h
+++ b/tools/lib/api/fd/array.h
@@ -21,19 +21,27 @@ struct fdarray {
 	int	       nr_alloc;
 	int	       nr_autogrow;
 	struct pollfd *entries;
-	union {
-		int    idx;
-		void   *ptr;
+	struct priv {
+		union {
+			int    idx;
+			void   *ptr;
+		};
+		unsigned int flags;
 	} *priv;
 };
 
+enum fdarray_flags {
+	fdarray_flag__default	    = 0x00000000,
+	fdarray_flag__nonfilterable = 0x00000001
+};
+
 void fdarray__init(struct fdarray *fda, int nr_autogrow);
 void fdarray__exit(struct fdarray *fda);
 
 struct fdarray *fdarray__new(int nr_alloc, int nr_autogrow);
 void fdarray__delete(struct fdarray *fda);
 
-int fdarray__add(struct fdarray *fda, int fd, short revents);
+int fdarray__add(struct fdarray *fda, int fd, short revents, enum fdarray_flags flags);
 int fdarray__poll(struct fdarray *fda, int timeout);
 int fdarray__filter(struct fdarray *fda, short revents,
 		    void (*entry_destructor)(struct fdarray *fda, int fd, void *arg),
diff --git a/tools/lib/perf/evlist.c b/tools/lib/perf/evlist.c
index 6a875a0f01bb..2208444ecb44 100644
--- a/tools/lib/perf/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/lib/perf/evlist.c
@@ -305,9 +305,9 @@ int perf_evlist__alloc_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 }
 
 int perf_evlist__add_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int fd,
-			    void *ptr, short revent)
+			    void *ptr, short revent, enum fdarray_flags flags)
 {
-	int pos = fdarray__add(&evlist->pollfd, fd, revent | POLLERR | POLLHUP);
+	int pos = fdarray__add(&evlist->pollfd, fd, revent | POLLERR | POLLHUP, flags);
 
 	if (pos >= 0) {
 		evlist->pollfd.priv[pos].ptr = ptr;
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ mmap_per_evsel(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evlist_mmap_ops *ops,
 		revent = !overwrite ? POLLIN : 0;
 
 		if (!evsel->system_wide &&
-		    perf_evlist__add_pollfd(evlist, fd, map, revent) < 0) {
+		    perf_evlist__add_pollfd(evlist, fd, map, revent, fdarray_flag__default) < 0) {
 			perf_mmap__put(map);
 			return -1;
 		}
diff --git a/tools/lib/perf/include/internal/evlist.h b/tools/lib/perf/include/internal/evlist.h
index 74dc8c3f0b66..2d0fa02b036f 100644
--- a/tools/lib/perf/include/internal/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/lib/perf/include/internal/evlist.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ struct perf_evlist_mmap_ops {
 
 int perf_evlist__alloc_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 int perf_evlist__add_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int fd,
-			    void *ptr, short revent);
+			    void *ptr, short revent, enum fdarray_flags flags);
 
 int perf_evlist__mmap_ops(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 			  struct perf_evlist_mmap_ops *ops,
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/fdarray.c b/tools/perf/tests/fdarray.c
index d0c8a05aab2f..d9eca8e86a6b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/fdarray.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/fdarray.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ int test__fdarray__add(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest __maybe_unu
 	}
 
 #define FDA_ADD(_idx, _fd, _revents, _nr)				   \
-	if (fdarray__add(fda, _fd, _revents) < 0) {			   \
+	if (fdarray__add(fda, _fd, _revents, fdarray_flag__default) < 0) { \
 		pr_debug("\n%d: fdarray__add(fda, %d, %d) failed!",	   \
 			 __LINE__,_fd, _revents);			   \
 		goto out_delete;					   \
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index b92dafa29297..22a33a49f178 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ int perf_evlist__enable_event_idx(struct evlist *evlist,
 
 int evlist__add_pollfd(struct evlist *evlist, int fd)
 {
-	return perf_evlist__add_pollfd(&evlist->core, fd, NULL, POLLIN);
+	return perf_evlist__add_pollfd(&evlist->core, fd, NULL, POLLIN, fdarray_flag__default);
 }
 
 int evlist__filter_pollfd(struct evlist *evlist, short revents_and_mask)