diff --git a/tools/perf/arch/arm64/util/arm-spe.c b/tools/perf/arch/arm64/util/arm-spe.c
index eba6541ec0f1..1d993c27242b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/arch/arm64/util/arm-spe.c
+++ b/tools/perf/arch/arm64/util/arm-spe.c
@@ -165,9 +165,12 @@ static int arm_spe_read_finish(struct auxtrace_record *itr, int idx)
 	struct evsel *evsel;
 
 	evlist__for_each_entry(sper->evlist, evsel) {
-		if (evsel->core.attr.type == sper->arm_spe_pmu->type)
+		if (evsel->core.attr.type == sper->arm_spe_pmu->type) {
+			if (evsel->disabled)
+				return 0;
 			return perf_evlist__enable_event_idx(sper->evlist,
 							     evsel, idx);
+		}
 	}
 	return -EINVAL;
 }