diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/perfctr.c b/arch/arm64/kernel/perfctr.c
index 2989a427..639d6409 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/perfctr.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/perfctr.c
@@ -184,25 +184,13 @@ int ihk_mc_perfctr_read_mask(unsigned long counter_mask, unsigned long *value)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int ihk_mc_perfctr_alloc(struct thread *thread, int cpu_cycles)
+int ihk_mc_perfctr_alloc(struct thread *thread, struct mc_perf_event *event)
 {
-	int ret = -EINVAL;
-	int i = 1;
 	const int counters = ihk_mc_perf_get_num_counters();
 
-	// Counter 0 is only used for CPU cycles on ARM
-	if (cpu_cycles) {
-		i = 0;
-	}
-
-	for (; i < counters; i++) {
-		if (!(thread->pmc_alloc_map & (1 << i))) {
-			ret = i;
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return ret;
+	return cpu_pmu.get_event_idx(counters,
+				     thread->pmc_alloc_map,
+				     event->hw_config);
 }
 
 unsigned long ihk_mc_perfctr_read(int counter)
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/kernel/perfctr.c b/arch/x86_64/kernel/perfctr.c
index 505c3a00..8c4b8b88 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/kernel/perfctr.c
+++ b/arch/x86_64/kernel/perfctr.c
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ int ihk_mc_perfctr_read_mask(unsigned long counter_mask, unsigned long *value)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int ihk_mc_perfctr_alloc(struct thread *thread, int cpu_cycles)
+int ihk_mc_perfctr_alloc(struct thread *thread, struct mc_perf_event *event)
 {
 	int ret = -EINVAL;
 	int i = 0;
diff --git a/kernel/syscall.c b/kernel/syscall.c
index f0dc405c..f2637293 100644
--- a/kernel/syscall.c
+++ b/kernel/syscall.c
@@ -4187,9 +4187,7 @@ SYSCALL_DECLARE(perf_event_open)
 
 	event->pid = pid;
 
-	counter_idx = ihk_mc_perfctr_alloc(thread,
-			(attr->type == PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE &&
-			 attr->config == PERF_COUNT_HW_CPU_CYCLES));
+	counter_idx = ihk_mc_perfctr_alloc(thread, event);
 	if (counter_idx < 0) {
 		return counter_idx;
 	}
diff --git a/lib/include/ihk/perfctr.h b/lib/include/ihk/perfctr.h
index a2038ce4..1a7b806a 100644
--- a/lib/include/ihk/perfctr.h
+++ b/lib/include/ihk/perfctr.h
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ int ihk_mc_perfctr_read_mask(unsigned long counter_mask, unsigned long *value);
 unsigned long ihk_mc_perfctr_read(int counter);
 unsigned long ihk_mc_perfctr_read_msr(int counter);
 int ihk_mc_perfctr_alloc_counter(unsigned int *type, unsigned long *config, unsigned long pmc_status);
-int ihk_mc_perfctr_alloc(struct thread *thread, int cpu_cycles);
+int ihk_mc_perfctr_alloc(struct thread *thread, struct mc_perf_event *event);
 int ihk_mc_perf_counter_mask_check(unsigned long counter_mask);
 int ihk_mc_perf_get_num_counters(void);