diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 3a334f0019979e88ed8fbaa152f2183470c973f5..f0e65dec66a512a79b4a7b5ebbc1443fd28344c4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -1051,6 +1051,8 @@ static int __perf_evsel__open(struct perf_evsel *evsel, struct cpu_map *cpus,
 								     group_fd, flags);
 			if (FD(evsel, cpu, thread) < 0) {
 				err = -errno;
+				pr_debug2("perf_event_open failed, error %d\n",
+					  err);
 				goto try_fallback;
 			}
 			set_rlimit = NO_CHANGE;