diff --git a/Config.in b/Config.in
index 36ca48881f..e5b3346fe2 100644
--- a/Config.in
+++ b/Config.in
@@ -193,9 +193,14 @@ menu "Global build settings"
 		  debugging files into. Enable this option to be able to read and
 		  write to these files.
 
+	config KERNEL_PERF_EVENTS
+		bool
+		default n
+
 	config KERNEL_PROFILING
 		bool "Compile the kernel with profiling enabled"
 		default n
+		select KERNEL_PERF_EVENTS
 		help
 		  Enable the extended profiling support mechanisms used by profilers such
 		  as OProfile.
diff --git a/target/linux/generic/config-3.3 b/target/linux/generic/config-3.3
index a2c90533ca..31f3442edf 100644
--- a/target/linux/generic/config-3.3
+++ b/target/linux/generic/config-3.3
@@ -922,6 +922,7 @@ CONFIG_HOTPLUG=y
 # CONFIG_HWMON_DEBUG_CHIP is not set
 # CONFIG_HWMON_VID is not set
 # CONFIG_HWSPINLOCK_OMAP is not set
+CONFIG_HW_PERF_EVENTS=y
 # CONFIG_HW_RANDOM is not set
 # CONFIG_HW_RANDOM_AMD is not set
 # CONFIG_HW_RANDOM_GEODE is not set