diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/evsel.c b/tools/perf/lib/evsel.c
index 17cba35becc7..8e91738c5c38 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/evsel.c
@@ -2,9 +2,20 @@
 #include <perf/evsel.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <internal/evsel.h>
+#include <linux/zalloc.h>
 
 void perf_evsel__init(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct perf_event_attr *attr)
 {
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&evsel->node);
 	evsel->attr = *attr;
 }
+
+struct perf_evsel *perf_evsel__new(struct perf_event_attr *attr)
+{
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel = zalloc(sizeof(*evsel));
+
+	if (evsel != NULL)
+		perf_evsel__init(evsel, attr);
+
+	return evsel;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evsel.h b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evsel.h
index 295583b89f46..21b66fc1937f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evsel.h
@@ -9,5 +9,6 @@ struct perf_event_attr;
 
 LIBPERF_API void perf_evsel__init(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 				  struct perf_event_attr *attr);
+LIBPERF_API struct perf_evsel *perf_evsel__new(struct perf_event_attr *attr);
 
 #endif /* __LIBPERF_EVSEL_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map b/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
index 5e685d6c7a95..e3eac9b60726 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ LIBPERF_0.0.1 {
 		perf_thread_map__comm;
 		perf_thread_map__get;
 		perf_thread_map__put;
+		perf_evsel__new;
 		perf_evsel__init;
 		perf_evlist__new;
 		perf_evlist__init;