diff --git a/tools/perf/util/cloexec.c b/tools/perf/util/cloexec.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c5d05ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/util/cloexec.c
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#include "util.h"
+#include "../perf.h"
+#include "cloexec.h"
+#include "asm/bug.h"
+
+static unsigned long flag = PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC;
+
+static int perf_flag_probe(void)
+{
+	/* use 'safest' configuration as used in perf_evsel__fallback() */
+	struct perf_event_attr attr = {
+		.type = PERF_COUNT_SW_CPU_CLOCK,
+		.config = PERF_COUNT_SW_CPU_CLOCK,
+	};
+	int fd;
+	int err;
+
+	/* check cloexec flag */
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1,
+				 PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC);
+	err = errno;
+
+	if (fd >= 0) {
+		close(fd);
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	WARN_ONCE(err != EINVAL,
+		  "perf_event_open(..., PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC) failed with unexpected error %d (%s)\n",
+		  err, strerror(err));
+
+	/* not supported, confirm error related to PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC */
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1, 0);
+	err = errno;
+
+	if (WARN_ONCE(fd < 0,
+		      "perf_event_open(..., 0) failed unexpectedly with error %d (%s)\n",
+		      err, strerror(err)))
+		return -1;
+
+	close(fd);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+unsigned long perf_event_open_cloexec_flag(void)
+{
+	static bool probed;
+
+	if (!probed) {
+		if (perf_flag_probe() <= 0)
+			flag = 0;
+		probed = true;
+	}
+
+	return flag;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/cloexec.h b/tools/perf/util/cloexec.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94a5a7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/util/cloexec.h
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#ifndef __PERF_CLOEXEC_H
+#define __PERF_CLOEXEC_H
+
+unsigned long perf_event_open_cloexec_flag(void);
+
+#endif /* __PERF_CLOEXEC_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 90f58cd..21a373e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 	bool sample_id_all;
 	bool exclude_guest;
 	bool mmap2;
+	bool cloexec;
 } perf_missing_features;
 
 #define FD(e, x, y) (*(int *)xyarray__entry(e->fd, x, y))
@@ -994,7 +995,7 @@
 			      struct thread_map *threads)
 {
 	int cpu, thread;
-	unsigned long flags = 0;
+	unsigned long flags = PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC;
 	int pid = -1, err;
 	enum { NO_CHANGE, SET_TO_MAX, INCREASED_MAX } set_rlimit = NO_CHANGE;
 
@@ -1003,11 +1004,13 @@
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	if (evsel->cgrp) {
-		flags = PERF_FLAG_PID_CGROUP;
+		flags |= PERF_FLAG_PID_CGROUP;
 		pid = evsel->cgrp->fd;
 	}
 
 fallback_missing_features:
+	if (perf_missing_features.cloexec)
+		flags &= ~(unsigned long)PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC;
 	if (perf_missing_features.mmap2)
 		evsel->attr.mmap2 = 0;
 	if (perf_missing_features.exclude_guest)
@@ -1076,7 +1079,10 @@
 	if (err != -EINVAL || cpu > 0 || thread > 0)
 		goto out_close;
 
-	if (!perf_missing_features.mmap2 && evsel->attr.mmap2) {
+	if (!perf_missing_features.cloexec && (flags & PERF_FLAG_FD_CLOEXEC)) {
+		perf_missing_features.cloexec = true;
+		goto fallback_missing_features;
+	} else if (!perf_missing_features.mmap2 && evsel->attr.mmap2) {
 		perf_missing_features.mmap2 = true;
 		goto fallback_missing_features;
 	} else if (!perf_missing_features.exclude_guest &&
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/record.c b/tools/perf/util/record.c
index 1657231..fe8079e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/record.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "parse-events.h"
 #include <api/fs/fs.h>
 #include "util.h"
+#include "cloexec.h"
 
 typedef void (*setup_probe_fn_t)(struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@
 {
 	struct perf_evlist *evlist;
 	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+	unsigned long flags = perf_event_open_cloexec_flag();
 	int err = -EAGAIN, fd;
 
 	evlist = perf_evlist__new();
@@ -22,14 +24,14 @@
 
 	evsel = perf_evlist__first(evlist);
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, flags);
 	if (fd < 0)
 		goto out_delete;
 	close(fd);
 
 	fn(evsel);
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, flags);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		if (errno == EINVAL)
 			err = -EINVAL;
@@ -219,7 +221,8 @@
 		cpu = evlist->cpus->map[0];
 	}
 
-	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1, 0);
+	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&evsel->attr, -1, cpu, -1,
+				 perf_event_open_cloexec_flag());
 	if (fd >= 0) {
 		close(fd);
 		ret = true;