diff --git a/tools/lib/api/fd/array.c b/tools/lib/api/fd/array.c
index 4889c7d42961..0e636c4339b8 100644
--- a/tools/lib/api/fd/array.c
+++ b/tools/lib/api/fd/array.c
@@ -13,21 +13,31 @@
 void fdarray__init(struct fdarray *fda, int nr_autogrow)
 {
 	fda->entries	 = NULL;
+	fda->priv	 = NULL;
 	fda->nr		 = fda->nr_alloc = 0;
 	fda->nr_autogrow = nr_autogrow;
 }
 
 int fdarray__grow(struct fdarray *fda, int nr)
 {
+	void *priv;
 	int nr_alloc = fda->nr_alloc + nr;
+	size_t psize = sizeof(fda->priv[0]) * nr_alloc;
 	size_t size  = sizeof(struct pollfd) * nr_alloc;
 	struct pollfd *entries = realloc(fda->entries, size);
 
 	if (entries == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	priv = realloc(fda->priv, psize);
+	if (priv == NULL) {
+		free(entries);
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+
 	fda->nr_alloc = nr_alloc;
 	fda->entries  = entries;
+	fda->priv     = priv;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -50,6 +60,7 @@ struct fdarray *fdarray__new(int nr_alloc, int nr_autogrow)
 void fdarray__exit(struct fdarray *fda)
 {
 	free(fda->entries);
+	free(fda->priv);
 	fdarray__init(fda, 0);
 }
 
@@ -61,6 +72,8 @@ void fdarray__delete(struct fdarray *fda)
 
 int fdarray__add(struct fdarray *fda, int fd, short revents)
 {
+	int pos = fda->nr;
+
 	if (fda->nr == fda->nr_alloc &&
 	    fdarray__grow(fda, fda->nr_autogrow) < 0)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -68,10 +81,11 @@ int fdarray__add(struct fdarray *fda, int fd, short revents)
 	fda->entries[fda->nr].fd     = fd;
 	fda->entries[fda->nr].events = revents;
 	fda->nr++;
-	return 0;
+	return pos;
 }
 
-int fdarray__filter(struct fdarray *fda, short revents)
+int fdarray__filter(struct fdarray *fda, short revents,
+		    void (*entry_destructor)(struct fdarray *fda, int fd))
 {
 	int fd, nr = 0;
 
@@ -79,11 +93,17 @@ int fdarray__filter(struct fdarray *fda, short revents)
 		return 0;
 
 	for (fd = 0; fd < fda->nr; ++fd) {
-		if (fda->entries[fd].revents & revents)
-			continue;
+		if (fda->entries[fd].revents & revents) {
+			if (entry_destructor)
+				entry_destructor(fda, fd);
 
-		if (fd != nr)
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		if (fd != nr) {
 			fda->entries[nr] = fda->entries[fd];
+			fda->priv[nr]	 = fda->priv[fd];
+		}
 
 		++nr;
 	}
diff --git a/tools/lib/api/fd/array.h b/tools/lib/api/fd/array.h
index de38361ba69e..45db01818f45 100644
--- a/tools/lib/api/fd/array.h
+++ b/tools/lib/api/fd/array.h
@@ -5,11 +5,24 @@
 
 struct pollfd;
 
+/**
+ * struct fdarray: Array of file descriptors
+ *
+ * @priv: Per array entry priv area, users should access just its contents,
+ *	  not set it to anything, as it is kept in synch with @entries, being
+ *	  realloc'ed, * for instance, in fdarray__{grow,filter}.
+ *
+ *	  I.e. using 'fda->priv[N].idx = * value' where N < fda->nr is ok,
+ *	  but doing 'fda->priv = malloc(M)' is not allowed.
+ */
 struct fdarray {
 	int	       nr;
 	int	       nr_alloc;
 	int	       nr_autogrow;
 	struct pollfd *entries;
+	union {
+		int    idx;
+	} *priv;
 };
 
 void fdarray__init(struct fdarray *fda, int nr_autogrow);
@@ -20,7 +33,8 @@ void fdarray__delete(struct fdarray *fda);
 
 int fdarray__add(struct fdarray *fda, int fd, short revents);
 int fdarray__poll(struct fdarray *fda, int timeout);
-int fdarray__filter(struct fdarray *fda, short revents);
+int fdarray__filter(struct fdarray *fda, short revents,
+		    void (*entry_destructor)(struct fdarray *fda, int fd));
 int fdarray__grow(struct fdarray *fda, int extra);
 int fdarray__fprintf(struct fdarray *fda, FILE *fp);
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/fdarray.c b/tools/perf/tests/fdarray.c
index a0fea62ec368..d24b837951d4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/fdarray.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/fdarray.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ int test__fdarray__filter(void)
 	}
 
 	fdarray__init_revents(fda, POLLIN);
-	nr_fds = fdarray__filter(fda, POLLHUP);
+	nr_fds = fdarray__filter(fda, POLLHUP, NULL);
 	if (nr_fds != fda->nr_alloc) {
 		pr_debug("\nfdarray__filter()=%d != %d shouldn't have filtered anything",
 			 nr_fds, fda->nr_alloc);
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ int test__fdarray__filter(void)
 	}
 
 	fdarray__init_revents(fda, POLLHUP);
-	nr_fds = fdarray__filter(fda, POLLHUP);
+	nr_fds = fdarray__filter(fda, POLLHUP, NULL);
 	if (nr_fds != 0) {
 		pr_debug("\nfdarray__filter()=%d != %d, should have filtered all fds",
 			 nr_fds, fda->nr_alloc);
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ int test__fdarray__filter(void)
 
 	pr_debug("\nfiltering all but fda->entries[2]:");
 	fdarray__fprintf_prefix(fda, "before", stderr);
-	nr_fds = fdarray__filter(fda, POLLHUP);
+	nr_fds = fdarray__filter(fda, POLLHUP, NULL);
 	fdarray__fprintf_prefix(fda, " after", stderr);
 	if (nr_fds != 1) {
 		pr_debug("\nfdarray__filter()=%d != 1, should have left just one event", nr_fds);
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ int test__fdarray__filter(void)
 
 	pr_debug("\nfiltering all but (fda->entries[0], fda->entries[3]):");
 	fdarray__fprintf_prefix(fda, "before", stderr);
-	nr_fds = fdarray__filter(fda, POLLHUP);
+	nr_fds = fdarray__filter(fda, POLLHUP, NULL);
 	fdarray__fprintf_prefix(fda, " after", stderr);
 	if (nr_fds != 2) {
 		pr_debug("\nfdarray__filter()=%d != 2, should have left just two events",
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index efddee5a23e9..61d18dc83e8e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ int perf_evlist__add_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int fd)
 
 int perf_evlist__filter_pollfd(struct perf_evlist *evlist, short revents_and_mask)
 {
-	return fdarray__filter(&evlist->pollfd, revents_and_mask);
+	return fdarray__filter(&evlist->pollfd, revents_and_mask, NULL);
 }
 
 int perf_evlist__poll(struct perf_evlist *evlist, int timeout)