diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index f82480fa7f27..40088a5848d6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -262,13 +262,16 @@ static bool perf_evlist__equal(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 
 static void open_counters(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 {
-	struct perf_evsel *pos;
+	struct perf_evsel *pos, *first;
 
 	if (evlist->cpus->map[0] < 0)
 		no_inherit = true;
 
+	first = list_entry(evlist->entries.next, struct perf_evsel, node);
+
 	list_for_each_entry(pos, &evlist->entries, node) {
 		struct perf_event_attr *attr = &pos->attr;
+		struct xyarray *group_fd = NULL;
 		/*
 		 * Check if parse_single_tracepoint_event has already asked for
 		 * PERF_SAMPLE_TIME.
@@ -283,11 +286,15 @@ static void open_counters(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 		 */
 		bool time_needed = attr->sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_TIME;
 
+		if (group && pos != first)
+			group_fd = first->fd;
+
 		config_attr(pos, evlist);
 retry_sample_id:
 		attr->sample_id_all = sample_id_all_avail ? 1 : 0;
 try_again:
-		if (perf_evsel__open(pos, evlist->cpus, evlist->threads, group) < 0) {
+		if (perf_evsel__open(pos, evlist->cpus, evlist->threads, group,
+				     group_fd) < 0) {
 			int err = errno;
 
 			if (err == EPERM || err == EACCES) {
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index 7ce65f52415e..7d98676808d8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -278,9 +278,14 @@ struct stats			runtime_itlb_cache_stats[MAX_NR_CPUS];
 struct stats			runtime_dtlb_cache_stats[MAX_NR_CPUS];
 struct stats			walltime_nsecs_stats;
 
-static int create_perf_stat_counter(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
+static int create_perf_stat_counter(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
+				    struct perf_evsel *first)
 {
 	struct perf_event_attr *attr = &evsel->attr;
+	struct xyarray *group_fd = NULL;
+
+	if (group && evsel != first)
+		group_fd = first->fd;
 
 	if (scale)
 		attr->read_format = PERF_FORMAT_TOTAL_TIME_ENABLED |
@@ -289,14 +294,15 @@ static int create_perf_stat_counter(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 	attr->inherit = !no_inherit;
 
 	if (system_wide)
-		return perf_evsel__open_per_cpu(evsel, evsel_list->cpus, group);
-
+		return perf_evsel__open_per_cpu(evsel, evsel_list->cpus,
+						group, group_fd);
 	if (target_pid == -1 && target_tid == -1) {
 		attr->disabled = 1;
 		attr->enable_on_exec = 1;
 	}
 
-	return perf_evsel__open_per_thread(evsel, evsel_list->threads, group);
+	return perf_evsel__open_per_thread(evsel, evsel_list->threads,
+					   group, group_fd);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -396,7 +402,7 @@ static int read_counter(struct perf_evsel *counter)
 static int run_perf_stat(int argc __used, const char **argv)
 {
 	unsigned long long t0, t1;
-	struct perf_evsel *counter;
+	struct perf_evsel *counter, *first;
 	int status = 0;
 	int child_ready_pipe[2], go_pipe[2];
 	const bool forks = (argc > 0);
@@ -453,8 +459,10 @@ static int run_perf_stat(int argc __used, const char **argv)
 		close(child_ready_pipe[0]);
 	}
 
+	first = list_entry(evsel_list->entries.next, struct perf_evsel, node);
+
 	list_for_each_entry(counter, &evsel_list->entries, node) {
-		if (create_perf_stat_counter(counter) < 0) {
+		if (create_perf_stat_counter(counter, first) < 0) {
 			if (errno == EINVAL || errno == ENOSYS || errno == ENOENT) {
 				if (verbose)
 					ui__warning("%s event is not supported by the kernel.\n",
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-test.c b/tools/perf/builtin-test.c
index efe696f936e2..831d1baeac37 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-test.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-test.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ static int test__open_syscall_event(void)
 		goto out_thread_map_delete;
 	}
 
-	if (perf_evsel__open_per_thread(evsel, threads, false) < 0) {
+	if (perf_evsel__open_per_thread(evsel, threads, false, NULL) < 0) {
 		pr_debug("failed to open counter: %s, "
 			 "tweak /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid?\n",
 			 strerror(errno));
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ static int test__open_syscall_event_on_all_cpus(void)
 		goto out_thread_map_delete;
 	}
 
-	if (perf_evsel__open(evsel, cpus, threads, false) < 0) {
+	if (perf_evsel__open(evsel, cpus, threads, false, NULL) < 0) {
 		pr_debug("failed to open counter: %s, "
 			 "tweak /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid?\n",
 			 strerror(errno));
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ static int test__basic_mmap(void)
 
 		perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsels[i]);
 
-		if (perf_evsel__open(evsels[i], cpus, threads, false) < 0) {
+		if (perf_evsel__open(evsels[i], cpus, threads, false, NULL) < 0) {
 			pr_debug("failed to open counter: %s, "
 				 "tweak /proc/sys/kernel/perf_event_paranoid?\n",
 				 strerror(errno));
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
index 7a871714d44e..d2fc7542e826 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
@@ -834,10 +834,16 @@ static void perf_session__mmap_read(struct perf_session *self)
 
 static void start_counters(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 {
-	struct perf_evsel *counter;
+	struct perf_evsel *counter, *first;
+
+	first = list_entry(evlist->entries.next, struct perf_evsel, node);
 
 	list_for_each_entry(counter, &evlist->entries, node) {
 		struct perf_event_attr *attr = &counter->attr;
+		struct xyarray *group_fd = NULL;
+
+		if (group && counter != first)
+			group_fd = first->fd;
 
 		attr->sample_type = PERF_SAMPLE_IP | PERF_SAMPLE_TID;
 
@@ -860,7 +866,8 @@ static void start_counters(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 		attr->inherit = inherit;
 try_again:
 		if (perf_evsel__open(counter, top.evlist->cpus,
-				     top.evlist->threads, group) < 0) {
+				     top.evlist->threads, group,
+				     group_fd) < 0) {
 			int err = errno;
 
 			if (err == EPERM || err == EACCES) {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index 2f6bc89027da..fbb4b4ab9cc6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -539,3 +539,33 @@ void perf_evlist__set_selected(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 {
 	evlist->selected = evsel;
 }
+
+int perf_evlist__open(struct perf_evlist *evlist, bool group)
+{
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel, *first;
+	int err, ncpus, nthreads;
+
+	first = list_entry(evlist->entries.next, struct perf_evsel, node);
+
+	list_for_each_entry(evsel, &evlist->entries, node) {
+		struct xyarray *group_fd = NULL;
+
+		if (group && evsel != first)
+			group_fd = first->fd;
+
+		err = perf_evsel__open(evsel, evlist->cpus, evlist->threads,
+				       group, group_fd);
+		if (err < 0)
+			goto out_err;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+out_err:
+	ncpus = evlist->cpus ? evlist->cpus->nr : 1;
+	nthreads = evlist->threads ? evlist->threads->nr : 1;
+
+	list_for_each_entry_reverse(evsel, &evlist->entries, node)
+		perf_evsel__close(evsel, ncpus, nthreads);
+
+	return err;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index 6be71fc57794..1779ffef7828 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ struct perf_evsel *perf_evlist__id2evsel(struct perf_evlist *evlist, u64 id);
 
 union perf_event *perf_evlist__mmap_read(struct perf_evlist *self, int idx);
 
+int perf_evlist__open(struct perf_evlist *evlist, bool group);
+
 int perf_evlist__alloc_mmap(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 int perf_evlist__mmap(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int pages, bool overwrite);
 void perf_evlist__munmap(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index b46f6e4bff3c..e42626422587 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "thread_map.h"
 
 #define FD(e, x, y) (*(int *)xyarray__entry(e->fd, x, y))
+#define GROUP_FD(group_fd, cpu) (*(int *)xyarray__entry(group_fd, cpu, 0))
 
 int __perf_evsel__sample_size(u64 sample_type)
 {
@@ -204,15 +205,16 @@ int __perf_evsel__read(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 }
 
 static int __perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
-			      struct thread_map *threads, bool group)
+			      struct thread_map *threads, bool group,
+			      struct xyarray *group_fds)
 {
 	int cpu, thread;
 	unsigned long flags = 0;
-	int pid = -1;
+	int pid = -1, err;
 
 	if (evsel->fd == NULL &&
 	    perf_evsel__alloc_fd(evsel, cpus->nr, threads->nr) < 0)
-		return -1;
+		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	if (evsel->cgrp) {
 		flags = PERF_FLAG_PID_CGROUP;
@@ -220,7 +222,7 @@ static int __perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
 	}
 
 	for (cpu = 0; cpu < cpus->nr; cpu++) {
-		int group_fd = -1;
+		int group_fd = group_fds ? GROUP_FD(group_fds, cpu) : -1;
 
 		for (thread = 0; thread < threads->nr; thread++) {
 
@@ -231,8 +233,10 @@ static int __perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
 								     pid,
 								     cpus->map[cpu],
 								     group_fd, flags);
-			if (FD(evsel, cpu, thread) < 0)
+			if (FD(evsel, cpu, thread) < 0) {
+				err = -errno;
 				goto out_close;
+			}
 
 			if (group && group_fd == -1)
 				group_fd = FD(evsel, cpu, thread);
@@ -249,7 +253,17 @@ static int __perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
 		}
 		thread = threads->nr;
 	} while (--cpu >= 0);
-	return -1;
+	return err;
+}
+
+void perf_evsel__close(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads)
+{
+	if (evsel->fd == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	perf_evsel__close_fd(evsel, ncpus, nthreads);
+	perf_evsel__free_fd(evsel);
+	evsel->fd = NULL;
 }
 
 static struct {
@@ -269,7 +283,8 @@ static struct {
 };
 
 int perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
-		     struct thread_map *threads, bool group)
+		     struct thread_map *threads, bool group,
+		     struct xyarray *group_fd)
 {
 	if (cpus == NULL) {
 		/* Work around old compiler warnings about strict aliasing */
@@ -279,19 +294,23 @@ int perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
 	if (threads == NULL)
 		threads = &empty_thread_map.map;
 
-	return __perf_evsel__open(evsel, cpus, threads, group);
+	return __perf_evsel__open(evsel, cpus, threads, group, group_fd);
 }
 
 int perf_evsel__open_per_cpu(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
-			     struct cpu_map *cpus, bool group)
+			     struct cpu_map *cpus, bool group,
+			     struct xyarray *group_fd)
 {
-	return __perf_evsel__open(evsel, cpus, &empty_thread_map.map, group);
+	return __perf_evsel__open(evsel, cpus, &empty_thread_map.map, group,
+				  group_fd);
 }
 
 int perf_evsel__open_per_thread(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
-				struct thread_map *threads, bool group)
+				struct thread_map *threads, bool group,
+				struct xyarray *group_fd)
 {
-	return __perf_evsel__open(evsel, &empty_cpu_map.map, threads, group);
+	return __perf_evsel__open(evsel, &empty_cpu_map.map, threads, group,
+				  group_fd);
 }
 
 static int perf_event__parse_id_sample(const union perf_event *event, u64 type,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
index e9a31554e265..b1d15e6f7ae3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
@@ -82,11 +82,15 @@ void perf_evsel__free_id(struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 void perf_evsel__close_fd(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads);
 
 int perf_evsel__open_per_cpu(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
-			     struct cpu_map *cpus, bool group);
+			     struct cpu_map *cpus, bool group,
+			     struct xyarray *group_fds);
 int perf_evsel__open_per_thread(struct perf_evsel *evsel,
-				struct thread_map *threads, bool group);
+				struct thread_map *threads, bool group,
+				struct xyarray *group_fds);
 int perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
-		     struct thread_map *threads, bool group);
+		     struct thread_map *threads, bool group,
+		     struct xyarray *group_fds);
+void perf_evsel__close(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads);
 
 #define perf_evsel__match(evsel, t, c)		\
 	(evsel->attr.type == PERF_TYPE_##t &&	\
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/python.c b/tools/perf/util/python.c
index 7624324efad4..9dd47a4f2596 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/python.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/python.c
@@ -623,7 +623,11 @@ static PyObject *pyrf_evsel__open(struct pyrf_evsel *pevsel,
 		cpus = ((struct pyrf_cpu_map *)pcpus)->cpus;
 
 	evsel->attr.inherit = inherit;
-	if (perf_evsel__open(evsel, cpus, threads, group) < 0) {
+	/*
+	 * This will group just the fds for this single evsel, to group
+	 * multiple events, use evlist.open().
+	 */
+	if (perf_evsel__open(evsel, cpus, threads, group, NULL) < 0) {
 		PyErr_SetFromErrno(PyExc_OSError);
 		return NULL;
 	}
@@ -814,6 +818,25 @@ static PyObject *pyrf_evlist__read_on_cpu(struct pyrf_evlist *pevlist,
 	return Py_None;
 }
 
+static PyObject *pyrf_evlist__open(struct pyrf_evlist *pevlist,
+				   PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs)
+{
+	struct perf_evlist *evlist = &pevlist->evlist;
+	int group = 0;
+	static char *kwlist[] = { "group", NULL };
+
+	if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, kwargs, "|OOii", kwlist, &group))
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (perf_evlist__open(evlist, group) < 0) {
+		PyErr_SetFromErrno(PyExc_OSError);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+	return Py_None;
+}
+
 static PyMethodDef pyrf_evlist__methods[] = {
 	{
 		.ml_name  = "mmap",
@@ -821,6 +844,12 @@ static PyMethodDef pyrf_evlist__methods[] = {
 		.ml_flags = METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS,
 		.ml_doc	  = PyDoc_STR("mmap the file descriptor table.")
 	},
+	{
+		.ml_name  = "open",
+		.ml_meth  = (PyCFunction)pyrf_evlist__open,
+		.ml_flags = METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS,
+		.ml_doc	  = PyDoc_STR("open the file descriptors.")
+	},
 	{
 		.ml_name  = "poll",
 		.ml_meth  = (PyCFunction)pyrf_evlist__poll,