diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index eaad04e1672a..8134d45e2164 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -2139,6 +2139,22 @@ int evlist__ctlfd_process(struct evlist *evlist, enum evlist_ctl_cmd *cmd)
 	return err;
 }
 
+int evlist__ctlfd_update(struct evlist *evlist, struct pollfd *update)
+{
+	int ctlfd_pos = evlist->ctl_fd.pos;
+	struct pollfd *entries = evlist->core.pollfd.entries;
+
+	if (!evlist__ctlfd_initialized(evlist))
+		return 0;
+
+	if (entries[ctlfd_pos].fd != update->fd ||
+	    entries[ctlfd_pos].events != update->events)
+		return -1;
+
+	entries[ctlfd_pos].revents = update->revents;
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct evsel *evlist__find_evsel(struct evlist *evlist, int idx)
 {
 	struct evsel *evsel;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index 64cba56fbc74..a21daaa5fc1b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -410,6 +410,7 @@ void evlist__close_control(int ctl_fd, int ctl_fd_ack, bool *ctl_fd_close);
 int evlist__initialize_ctlfd(struct evlist *evlist, int ctl_fd, int ctl_fd_ack);
 int evlist__finalize_ctlfd(struct evlist *evlist);
 bool evlist__ctlfd_initialized(struct evlist *evlist);
+int evlist__ctlfd_update(struct evlist *evlist, struct pollfd *update);
 int evlist__ctlfd_process(struct evlist *evlist, enum evlist_ctl_cmd *cmd);
 int evlist__ctlfd_ack(struct evlist *evlist);