diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c b/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c
index e5f187fa4e57..023fe4b44131 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/evlist.c
@@ -14,3 +14,9 @@ void perf_evlist__add(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 {
 	list_add_tail(&evsel->node, &evlist->entries);
 }
+
+void perf_evlist__remove(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
+			 struct perf_evsel *evsel)
+{
+	list_del_init(&evsel->node);
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h
index 6992568b14a0..e0c87995c6ff 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/include/perf/evlist.h
@@ -10,5 +10,7 @@ struct perf_evsel;
 LIBPERF_API void perf_evlist__init(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 LIBPERF_API void perf_evlist__add(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 				  struct perf_evsel *evsel);
+LIBPERF_API void perf_evlist__remove(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
+				     struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 
 #endif /* __LIBPERF_EVLIST_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map b/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
index 06ccf31eb24d..168339f89a2e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
+++ b/tools/perf/lib/libperf.map
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ LIBPERF_0.0.1 {
 		perf_evsel__init;
 		perf_evlist__init;
 		perf_evlist__add;
+		perf_evlist__remove;
 	local:
 		*;
 };
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index f2b86f49ab8d..9b0108c23010 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ void evlist__add(struct evlist *evlist, struct evsel *entry)
 void evlist__remove(struct evlist *evlist, struct evsel *evsel)
 {
 	evsel->evlist = NULL;
-	list_del_init(&evsel->core.node);
+	perf_evlist__remove(&evlist->core, &evsel->core);
 	evlist->nr_entries -= 1;
 }