diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 4d042f104cdc..e6b83a3311a5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -184,16 +184,20 @@ char *event_name(int counter)
 	return "unknown";
 }
 
-static int parse_aliases(const char *str, char *names[][MAX_ALIASES], int size)
+static int parse_aliases(const char **str, char *names[][MAX_ALIASES], int size)
 {
 	int i, j;
+	int n, longest = -1;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < size; i++) {
-		for (j = 0; j < MAX_ALIASES; j++) {
-			if (!names[i][j])
-				break;
-			if (strcasestr(str, names[i][j]))
-				return i;
+		for (j = 0; j < MAX_ALIASES && names[i][j]; j++) {
+			n = strlen(names[i][j]);
+			if (n > longest && !strncasecmp(*str, names[i][j], n))
+				longest = n;
+		}
+		if (longest > 0) {
+			*str += longest;
+			return i;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -201,30 +205,53 @@ static int parse_aliases(const char *str, char *names[][MAX_ALIASES], int size)
 }
 
 static int
-parse_generic_hw_symbols(const char *str, struct perf_counter_attr *attr)
+parse_generic_hw_event(const char **str, struct perf_counter_attr *attr)
 {
-	int cache_type = -1, cache_op = 0, cache_result = 0;
+	const char *s = *str;
+	int cache_type = -1, cache_op = -1, cache_result = -1;
 
-	cache_type = parse_aliases(str, hw_cache, PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_MAX);
+	cache_type = parse_aliases(&s, hw_cache, PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_MAX);
 	/*
 	 * No fallback - if we cannot get a clear cache type
 	 * then bail out:
 	 */
 	if (cache_type == -1)
-		return -EINVAL;
+		return 0;
+
+	while ((cache_op == -1 || cache_result == -1) && *s == '-') {
+		++s;
+
+		if (cache_op == -1) {
+			cache_op = parse_aliases(&s, hw_cache_op,
+						PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_OP_MAX);
+			if (cache_op >= 0) {
+				if (!is_cache_op_valid(cache_type, cache_op))
+					return 0;
+				continue;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (cache_result == -1) {
+			cache_result = parse_aliases(&s, hw_cache_result,
+						PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_RESULT_MAX);
+			if (cache_result >= 0)
+				continue;
+		}
+
+		/*
+		 * Can't parse this as a cache op or result, so back up
+		 * to the '-'.
+		 */
+		--s;
+		break;
+	}
 
-	cache_op = parse_aliases(str, hw_cache_op, PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_OP_MAX);
 	/*
 	 * Fall back to reads:
 	 */
 	if (cache_op == -1)
 		cache_op = PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_OP_READ;
 
-	if (!is_cache_op_valid(cache_type, cache_op))
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	cache_result = parse_aliases(str, hw_cache_result,
-					PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_RESULT_MAX);
 	/*
 	 * Fall back to accesses:
 	 */
@@ -234,19 +261,110 @@ parse_generic_hw_symbols(const char *str, struct perf_counter_attr *attr)
 	attr->config = cache_type | (cache_op << 8) | (cache_result << 16);
 	attr->type = PERF_TYPE_HW_CACHE;
 
-	return 0;
+	*str = s;
+	return 1;
 }
 
 static int check_events(const char *str, unsigned int i)
 {
-	if (!strncmp(str, event_symbols[i].symbol,
-		     strlen(event_symbols[i].symbol)))
-		return 1;
+	int n;
 
-	if (strlen(event_symbols[i].alias))
-		if (!strncmp(str, event_symbols[i].alias,
-			     strlen(event_symbols[i].alias)))
+	n = strlen(event_symbols[i].symbol);
+	if (!strncmp(str, event_symbols[i].symbol, n))
+		return n;
+
+	n = strlen(event_symbols[i].alias);
+	if (n)
+		if (!strncmp(str, event_symbols[i].alias, n))
+			return n;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+parse_symbolic_event(const char **strp, struct perf_counter_attr *attr)
+{
+	const char *str = *strp;
+	unsigned int i;
+	int n;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(event_symbols); i++) {
+		n = check_events(str, i);
+		if (n > 0) {
+			attr->type = event_symbols[i].type;
+			attr->config = event_symbols[i].config;
+			*strp = str + n;
 			return 1;
+		}
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int parse_raw_event(const char **strp, struct perf_counter_attr *attr)
+{
+	const char *str = *strp;
+	u64 config;
+	int n;
+
+	if (*str != 'r')
+		return 0;
+	n = hex2u64(str + 1, &config);
+	if (n > 0) {
+		*strp = str + n + 1;
+		attr->type = PERF_TYPE_RAW;
+		attr->config = config;
+		return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+parse_numeric_event(const char **strp, struct perf_counter_attr *attr)
+{
+	const char *str = *strp;
+	char *endp;
+	unsigned long type;
+	u64 config;
+
+	type = strtoul(str, &endp, 0);
+	if (endp > str && type < PERF_TYPE_MAX && *endp == ':') {
+		str = endp + 1;
+		config = strtoul(str, &endp, 0);
+		if (endp > str) {
+			attr->type = type;
+			attr->config = config;
+			*strp = endp;
+			return 1;
+		}
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+parse_event_modifier(const char **strp, struct perf_counter_attr *attr)
+{
+	const char *str = *strp;
+	int eu = 1, ek = 1, eh = 1;
+
+	if (*str++ != ':')
+		return 0;
+	while (*str) {
+		if (*str == 'u')
+			eu = 0;
+		else if (*str == 'k')
+			ek = 0;
+		else if (*str == 'h')
+			eh = 0;
+		else
+			break;
+		++str;
+	}
+	if (str >= *strp + 2) {
+		*strp = str;
+		attr->exclude_user   = eu;
+		attr->exclude_kernel = ek;
+		attr->exclude_hv     = eh;
+		return 1;
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -254,73 +372,43 @@ static int check_events(const char *str, unsigned int i)
  * Each event can have multiple symbolic names.
  * Symbolic names are (almost) exactly matched.
  */
-static int parse_event_symbols(const char *str, struct perf_counter_attr *attr)
+static int parse_event_symbols(const char **str, struct perf_counter_attr *attr)
 {
-	u64 config, id;
-	int type;
-	unsigned int i;
-	const char *sep, *pstr;
-
-	if (str[0] == 'r' && hex2u64(str + 1, &config) > 0) {
-		attr->type = PERF_TYPE_RAW;
-		attr->config = config;
-
+	if (!(parse_raw_event(str, attr) ||
+	      parse_numeric_event(str, attr) ||
+	      parse_symbolic_event(str, attr) ||
+	      parse_generic_hw_event(str, attr)))
 		return 0;
-	}
 
-	pstr = str;
-	sep = strchr(pstr, ':');
-	if (sep) {
-		type = atoi(pstr);
-		pstr = sep + 1;
-		id = atoi(pstr);
-		sep = strchr(pstr, ':');
-		if (sep) {
-			pstr = sep + 1;
-			if (strchr(pstr, 'k'))
-				attr->exclude_user = 1;
-			if (strchr(pstr, 'u'))
-				attr->exclude_kernel = 1;
-		}
-		attr->type = type;
-		attr->config = id;
+	parse_event_modifier(str, attr);
 
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(event_symbols); i++) {
-		if (check_events(str, i)) {
-			attr->type = event_symbols[i].type;
-			attr->config = event_symbols[i].config;
-
-			return 0;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return parse_generic_hw_symbols(str, attr);
+	return 1;
 }
 
 int parse_events(const struct option *opt, const char *str, int unset)
 {
 	struct perf_counter_attr attr;
-	int ret;
 
-	memset(&attr, 0, sizeof(attr));
-again:
-	if (nr_counters == MAX_COUNTERS)
-		return -1;
+	for (;;) {
+		if (nr_counters == MAX_COUNTERS)
+			return -1;
 
-	ret = parse_event_symbols(str, &attr);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		return ret;
+		memset(&attr, 0, sizeof(attr));
+		if (!parse_event_symbols(&str, &attr))
+			return -1;
 
-	attrs[nr_counters] = attr;
-	nr_counters++;
+		if (!(*str == 0 || *str == ',' || isspace(*str)))
+			return -1;
 
-	str = strstr(str, ",");
-	if (str) {
-		str++;
-		goto again;
+		attrs[nr_counters] = attr;
+		nr_counters++;
+
+		if (*str == 0)
+			break;
+		if (*str == ',')
+			++str;
+		while (isspace(*str))
+			++str;
 	}
 
 	return 0;