diff --git a/tools/perf/perf.h b/tools/perf/perf.h
index deb17dba4a5b..03a045618148 100644
--- a/tools/perf/perf.h
+++ b/tools/perf/perf.h
@@ -167,7 +167,6 @@ sys_perf_event_open(struct perf_event_attr *attr,
 		      pid_t pid, int cpu, int group_fd,
 		      unsigned long flags)
 {
-	attr->size = sizeof(*attr);
 	return syscall(__NR_perf_event_open, attr, pid, cpu,
 		       group_fd, flags);
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.c b/tools/perf/util/util.c
index fb25d1329218..8109a907841e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.c
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ void event_attr_init(struct perf_event_attr *attr)
 		attr->exclude_host  = 1;
 	if (!perf_guest)
 		attr->exclude_guest = 1;
+	/* to capture ABI version */
+	attr->size = sizeof(*attr);
 }
 
 int mkdir_p(char *path, mode_t mode)