diff --git a/tools/lib/perf/evlist.c b/tools/lib/perf/evlist.c
index ceb34123f38e..fad607789d1e 100644
--- a/tools/lib/perf/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/lib/perf/evlist.c
@@ -744,3 +744,12 @@ int perf_evlist__nr_groups(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 	}
 	return nr_groups;
 }
+
+void perf_evlist__go_system_wide(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *evsel)
+{
+	if (!evsel->system_wide) {
+		evsel->system_wide = true;
+		if (evlist->needs_map_propagation)
+			__perf_evlist__propagate_maps(evlist, evsel);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tools/lib/perf/include/internal/evlist.h b/tools/lib/perf/include/internal/evlist.h
index 79e11d71072a..f43bdb9b6227 100644
--- a/tools/lib/perf/include/internal/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/lib/perf/include/internal/evlist.h
@@ -135,4 +135,6 @@ int perf_evlist__id_add_fd(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 void perf_evlist__reset_id_hash(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 
 void __perf_evlist__set_leader(struct list_head *list, struct perf_evsel *leader);
+
+void perf_evlist__go_system_wide(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 #endif /* __LIBPERF_INTERNAL_EVLIST_H */