diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index e82ba90cc969..50d7b80987c0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -462,9 +462,9 @@ int perf_evlist__alloc_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int __perf_evlist__add_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int fd, int idx)
+static int __perf_evlist__add_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int fd, int idx, short revent)
 {
-	int pos = fdarray__add(&evlist->pollfd, fd, POLLIN | POLLERR | POLLHUP);
+	int pos = fdarray__add(&evlist->pollfd, fd, revent | POLLERR | POLLHUP);
 	/*
 	 * Save the idx so that when we filter out fds POLLHUP'ed we can
 	 * close the associated evlist->mmap[] entry.
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ static int __perf_evlist__add_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int fd, int idx
 
 int perf_evlist__add_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int fd)
 {
-	return __perf_evlist__add_pollfd(evlist, fd, -1);
+	return __perf_evlist__add_pollfd(evlist, fd, -1, POLLIN);
 }
 
 static void perf_evlist__munmap_filtered(struct fdarray *fda, int fd)
@@ -983,15 +983,28 @@ static int __perf_evlist__mmap(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static bool
+perf_evlist__should_poll(struct perf_evlist *evlist __maybe_unused,
+			 struct perf_evsel *evsel)
+{
+	if (evsel->overwrite)
+		return false;
+	return true;
+}
+
 static int perf_evlist__mmap_per_evsel(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx,
 				       struct mmap_params *mp, int cpu,
 				       int thread, int *output)
 {
 	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+	int revent;
 
 	evlist__for_each(evlist, evsel) {
 		int fd;
 
+		if (evsel->overwrite != (evlist->overwrite && evlist->backward))
+			continue;
+
 		if (evsel->system_wide && thread)
 			continue;
 
@@ -1008,6 +1021,8 @@ static int perf_evlist__mmap_per_evsel(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx,
 			perf_evlist__mmap_get(evlist, idx);
 		}
 
+		revent = perf_evlist__should_poll(evlist, evsel) ? POLLIN : 0;
+
 		/*
 		 * The system_wide flag causes a selected event to be opened
 		 * always without a pid.  Consequently it will never get a
@@ -1016,7 +1031,7 @@ static int perf_evlist__mmap_per_evsel(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int idx,
 		 * Therefore don't add it for polling.
 		 */
 		if (!evsel->system_wide &&
-		    __perf_evlist__add_pollfd(evlist, fd, idx) < 0) {
+		    __perf_evlist__add_pollfd(evlist, fd, idx, revent) < 0) {
 			perf_evlist__mmap_put(evlist, idx);
 			return -1;
 		}