diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 4759d644a5aa..6cffba96477e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -544,54 +544,101 @@ struct evsel *evsel__clone(struct evsel *orig)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+static int trace_event__id(const char *sys, const char *name)
+{
+	char *tp_dir = get_events_file(sys);
+	char path[PATH_MAX];
+	int id, err;
+
+	if (!tp_dir)
+		return -1;
+
+	scnprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s/%s/id", tp_dir, name);
+	put_events_file(tp_dir);
+	err = filename__read_int(path, &id);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
+	return id;
+}
+
 /*
  * Returns pointer with encoded error via <linux/err.h> interface.
  */
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
 struct evsel *evsel__newtp_idx(const char *sys, const char *name, int idx, bool format)
 {
+	struct perf_event_attr attr = {
+		.type	       = PERF_TYPE_TRACEPOINT,
+		.sample_type   = (PERF_SAMPLE_RAW | PERF_SAMPLE_TIME |
+				PERF_SAMPLE_CPU | PERF_SAMPLE_PERIOD),
+	};
 	struct evsel *evsel = zalloc(perf_evsel__object.size);
-	int err = -ENOMEM;
+	int err = -ENOMEM, id = -1;
 
-	if (evsel == NULL) {
+	if (evsel == NULL)
 		goto out_err;
-	} else {
-		struct perf_event_attr attr = {
-			.type	       = PERF_TYPE_TRACEPOINT,
-			.sample_type   = (PERF_SAMPLE_RAW | PERF_SAMPLE_TIME |
-					  PERF_SAMPLE_CPU | PERF_SAMPLE_PERIOD),
-		};
 
-		if (asprintf(&evsel->name, "%s:%s", sys, name) < 0)
+
+	if (asprintf(&evsel->name, "%s:%s", sys, name) < 0)
+		goto out_free;
+
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
+	evsel->tp_sys = strdup(sys);
+	if (!evsel->tp_sys)
+		goto out_free;
+
+	evsel->tp_name = strdup(name);
+	if (!evsel->tp_name)
+		goto out_free;
+#endif
+
+	event_attr_init(&attr);
+
+	if (format) {
+		id = trace_event__id(sys, name);
+		if (id < 0) {
+			err = id;
 			goto out_free;
-
-		event_attr_init(&attr);
-
-		if (format) {
-			evsel->tp_format = trace_event__tp_format(sys, name);
-			if (IS_ERR(evsel->tp_format)) {
-				err = PTR_ERR(evsel->tp_format);
-				evsel->tp_format = NULL;
-				goto out_free;
-			}
-			attr.config = evsel->tp_format->id;
-		} else {
-			attr.config = (__u64) -1;
 		}
-
-
-		attr.sample_period = 1;
-		evsel__init(evsel, &attr, idx);
 	}
-
+	attr.config = (__u64)id;
+	attr.sample_period = 1;
+	evsel__init(evsel, &attr, idx);
 	return evsel;
 
 out_free:
 	zfree(&evsel->name);
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
+	zfree(&evsel->tp_sys);
+	zfree(&evsel->tp_name);
+#endif
 	free(evsel);
 out_err:
 	return ERR_PTR(err);
 }
+
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
+struct tep_event *evsel__tp_format(struct evsel *evsel)
+{
+	struct tep_event *tp_format = evsel->tp_format;
+
+	if (tp_format)
+		return tp_format;
+
+	if (evsel->core.attr.type != PERF_TYPE_TRACEPOINT)
+		return NULL;
+
+	tp_format = trace_event__tp_format(evsel->tp_sys, evsel->tp_name);
+	if (IS_ERR(tp_format)) {
+		int err = -PTR_ERR(evsel->tp_format);
+
+		pr_err("Error getting tracepoint format '%s' '%s'(%d)\n",
+			evsel__name(evsel), strerror(err), err);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	evsel->tp_format = tp_format;
+	return evsel->tp_format;
+}
 #endif
 
 const char *const evsel__hw_names[PERF_COUNT_HW_MAX] = {
@@ -1588,6 +1635,10 @@ void evsel__exit(struct evsel *evsel)
 	perf_thread_map__put(evsel->core.threads);
 	zfree(&evsel->group_name);
 	zfree(&evsel->name);
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
+	zfree(&evsel->tp_sys);
+	zfree(&evsel->tp_name);
+#endif
 	zfree(&evsel->filter);
 	zfree(&evsel->group_pmu_name);
 	zfree(&evsel->unit);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
index c3e53d320bf5..93b6244ec302 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ struct evsel {
 		char			*group_name;
 		const char		*group_pmu_name;
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
+		char			*tp_sys;
+		char			*tp_name;
 		struct tep_event	*tp_format;
 #endif
 		char			*filter;
@@ -247,25 +249,17 @@ int copy_config_terms(struct list_head *dst, struct list_head *src);
 void free_config_terms(struct list_head *config_terms);
 
 
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
-struct evsel *evsel__newtp_idx(const char *sys, const char *name, int idx, bool format);
-
 /*
  * Returns pointer with encoded error via <linux/err.h> interface.
  */
+struct evsel *evsel__newtp_idx(const char *sys, const char *name, int idx, bool format);
 static inline struct evsel *evsel__newtp(const char *sys, const char *name)
 {
 	return evsel__newtp_idx(sys, name, 0, true);
 }
 
-static inline struct tep_event *evsel__tp_format(struct evsel *evsel)
-{
-	return evsel->tp_format;
-}
-#endif
-
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
-struct tep_event *event_format__new(const char *sys, const char *name);
+struct tep_event *evsel__tp_format(struct evsel *evsel);
 #endif
 
 void evsel__init(struct evsel *evsel, struct perf_event_attr *attr, int idx);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index afeb8d815bbf..7fc1c36ef2a4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -489,7 +489,6 @@ int parse_events_add_cache(struct list_head *list, int *idx, const char *name,
 	return found_supported ? 0 : -EINVAL;
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
 static void tracepoint_error(struct parse_events_error *e, int err,
 			     const char *sys, const char *name, int column)
 {
@@ -644,7 +643,6 @@ static int add_tracepoint_multi_sys(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,
 	closedir(events_dir);
 	return ret;
 }
-#endif /* HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT */
 
 size_t default_breakpoint_len(void)
 {
@@ -1066,7 +1064,6 @@ static int config_term_pmu(struct perf_event_attr *attr,
 	return config_term_common(attr, term, err);
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
 static int config_term_tracepoint(struct perf_event_attr *attr,
 				  struct parse_events_term *term,
 				  struct parse_events_error *err)
@@ -1111,7 +1108,6 @@ static int config_term_tracepoint(struct perf_event_attr *attr,
 
 	return 0;
 }
-#endif
 
 static int config_attr(struct perf_event_attr *attr,
 		       const struct parse_events_terms *head,
@@ -1303,7 +1299,7 @@ int parse_events_add_tracepoint(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,
 				struct parse_events_terms *head_config, void *loc_)
 {
 	YYLTYPE *loc = loc_;
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBTRACEEVENT
+
 	if (head_config) {
 		struct perf_event_attr attr;
 
@@ -1318,16 +1314,6 @@ int parse_events_add_tracepoint(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,
 	else
 		return add_tracepoint_event(parse_state, list, sys, event,
 					    err, head_config, loc);
-#else
-	(void)parse_state;
-	(void)list;
-	(void)sys;
-	(void)event;
-	(void)head_config;
-	parse_events_error__handle(err, loc->first_column, strdup("unsupported tracepoint"),
-				strdup("libtraceevent is necessary for tracepoint support"));
-	return -1;
-#endif
 }
 
 static int __parse_events_add_numeric(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,