diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
index 9087b223e324..5ab78dcbadfb 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
@@ -646,9 +646,11 @@ ctl-fifo / ack-fifo are opened and used as ctl-fd / ack-fd as follows.
 Listen on ctl-fd descriptor for command to control measurement.
 
 Available commands:
-  'enable'  : enable events
-  'disable' : disable events
-  'snapshot': AUX area tracing snapshot).
+  'enable'       : enable events
+  'disable'      : disable events
+  'enable name'  : enable event 'name'
+  'disable name' : disable event 'name'
+  'snapshot'     : AUX area tracing snapshot).
 
 Measurements can be started with events disabled using --delay=-1 option. Optionally
 send control command completion ('ack\n') to ack-fd descriptor to synchronize with the
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 7704c33bfe31..71061a9af1c2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -1938,18 +1938,14 @@ static int __cmd_record(struct record *rec, int argc, const char **argv)
 
 		if (evlist__ctlfd_process(rec->evlist, &cmd) > 0) {
 			switch (cmd) {
-			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_ENABLE:
-				pr_info(EVLIST_ENABLED_MSG);
-				break;
-			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_DISABLE:
-				pr_info(EVLIST_DISABLED_MSG);
-				break;
 			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_SNAPSHOT:
 				hit_auxtrace_snapshot_trigger(rec);
 				evlist__ctlfd_ack(rec->evlist);
 				break;
 			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_ACK:
 			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_UNSUPPORTED:
+			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_ENABLE:
+			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_DISABLE:
 			default:
 				break;
 			}
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index 3c054b8d4677..3ec12366bdd4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -611,14 +611,12 @@ static void process_evlist(struct evlist *evlist, unsigned int interval)
 	if (evlist__ctlfd_process(evlist, &cmd) > 0) {
 		switch (cmd) {
 		case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_ENABLE:
-			pr_info(EVLIST_ENABLED_MSG);
 			if (interval)
 				process_interval();
 			break;
 		case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_DISABLE:
 			if (interval)
 				process_interval();
-			pr_info(EVLIST_DISABLED_MSG);
 			break;
 		case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_SNAPSHOT:
 		case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_ACK:
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index 05363a7247c4..c71c7e035641 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -1957,6 +1957,64 @@ int evlist__ctlfd_ack(struct evlist *evlist)
 	return err;
 }
 
+static int get_cmd_arg(char *cmd_data, size_t cmd_size, char **arg)
+{
+	char *data = cmd_data + cmd_size;
+
+	/* no argument */
+	if (!*data)
+		return 0;
+
+	/* there's argument */
+	if (*data == ' ') {
+		*arg = data + 1;
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	/* malformed */
+	return -1;
+}
+
+static int evlist__ctlfd_enable(struct evlist *evlist, char *cmd_data, bool enable)
+{
+	struct evsel *evsel;
+	char *name;
+	int err;
+
+	err = get_cmd_arg(cmd_data,
+			  enable ? sizeof(EVLIST_CTL_CMD_ENABLE_TAG) - 1 :
+				   sizeof(EVLIST_CTL_CMD_DISABLE_TAG) - 1,
+			  &name);
+	if (err < 0) {
+		pr_info("failed: wrong command\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	if (err) {
+		evsel = evlist__find_evsel_by_str(evlist, name);
+		if (evsel) {
+			if (enable)
+				evlist__enable_evsel(evlist, name);
+			else
+				evlist__disable_evsel(evlist, name);
+			pr_info("Event %s %s\n", evsel->name,
+				enable ? "enabled" : "disabled");
+		} else {
+			pr_info("failed: can't find '%s' event\n", name);
+		}
+	} else {
+		if (enable) {
+			evlist__enable(evlist);
+			pr_info(EVLIST_ENABLED_MSG);
+		} else {
+			evlist__disable(evlist);
+			pr_info(EVLIST_DISABLED_MSG);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int evlist__ctlfd_process(struct evlist *evlist, enum evlist_ctl_cmd *cmd)
 {
 	int err = 0;
@@ -1973,10 +2031,9 @@ int evlist__ctlfd_process(struct evlist *evlist, enum evlist_ctl_cmd *cmd)
 		if (err > 0) {
 			switch (*cmd) {
 			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_ENABLE:
-				evlist__enable(evlist);
-				break;
 			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_DISABLE:
-				evlist__disable(evlist);
+				err = evlist__ctlfd_enable(evlist, cmd_data,
+							   *cmd == EVLIST_CTL_CMD_ENABLE);
 				break;
 			case EVLIST_CTL_CMD_SNAPSHOT:
 				break;