diff --git a/include/linux/nmi.h b/include/linux/nmi.h
index eee255bc0fd6..72c62a809e92 100644
--- a/include/linux/nmi.h
+++ b/include/linux/nmi.h
@@ -93,14 +93,18 @@ extern void hardlockup_detector_perf_stop(void);
 extern void hardlockup_detector_perf_restart(void);
 extern void hardlockup_detector_perf_disable(void);
 extern void hardlockup_detector_perf_cleanup(void);
+extern int hardlockup_detector_perf_init(void);
 #else
 static inline void hardlockup_detector_perf_stop(void) { }
 static inline void hardlockup_detector_perf_restart(void) { }
 static inline void hardlockup_detector_perf_disable(void) { }
 static inline void hardlockup_detector_perf_cleanup(void) { }
-#if !defined(CONFIG_HAVE_NMI_WATCHDOG)
+# if !defined(CONFIG_HAVE_NMI_WATCHDOG)
+static inline int hardlockup_detector_perf_init(void) { return -ENODEV; }
 static inline void arch_touch_nmi_watchdog(void) {}
-#endif
+# else
+static inline int hardlockup_detector_perf_init(void) { return 0; }
+# endif
 #endif
 
 void watchdog_nmi_reconfigure(bool run);
diff --git a/kernel/watchdog_hld.c b/kernel/watchdog_hld.c
index 0aa191ee3d51..f7e752e6e9b4 100644
--- a/kernel/watchdog_hld.c
+++ b/kernel/watchdog_hld.c
@@ -238,6 +238,27 @@ int watchdog_nmi_enable(unsigned int cpu)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int hardlockup_detector_event_create(void)
+{
+	unsigned int cpu = smp_processor_id();
+	struct perf_event_attr *wd_attr;
+	struct perf_event *evt;
+
+	wd_attr = &wd_hw_attr;
+	wd_attr->sample_period = hw_nmi_get_sample_period(watchdog_thresh);
+
+	/* Try to register using hardware perf events */
+	evt = perf_event_create_kernel_counter(wd_attr, cpu, NULL,
+					       watchdog_overflow_callback, NULL);
+	if (IS_ERR(evt)) {
+		pr_info("Perf event create on CPU %d failed with %ld\n", cpu,
+			PTR_ERR(evt));
+		return PTR_ERR(evt);
+	}
+	this_cpu_write(watchdog_ev, evt);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * hardlockup_detector_perf_disable - Disable the local event
  */
@@ -315,3 +336,19 @@ void __init hardlockup_detector_perf_restart(void)
 			perf_event_enable(event);
 	}
 }
+
+/**
+ * hardlockup_detector_perf_init - Probe whether NMI event is available at all
+ */
+int __init hardlockup_detector_perf_init(void)
+{
+	int ret = hardlockup_detector_event_create();
+
+	if (ret) {
+		pr_info("Perf NMI watchdog permanetely disabled\n");
+	} else {
+		perf_event_release_kernel(this_cpu_read(watchdog_ev));
+		this_cpu_write(watchdog_ev, NULL);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}