diff --git a/tools/perf/arch/arm/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/arch/arm/util/pmu.c
index a9623b128ece..d55d2b15f2e6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/arch/arm/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/arch/arm/util/pmu.c
@@ -14,22 +14,20 @@
 #include "../../../util/pmu.h"
 #include "../../../util/cs-etm.h"
 
-struct perf_event_attr
-*perf_pmu__get_default_config(struct perf_pmu *pmu __maybe_unused)
+void perf_pmu__arch_init(struct perf_pmu *pmu __maybe_unused)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_AUXTRACE_SUPPORT
 	if (!strcmp(pmu->name, CORESIGHT_ETM_PMU_NAME)) {
 		/* add ETM default config here */
 		pmu->selectable = true;
-		return cs_etm_get_default_config(pmu);
+		pmu->default_config = cs_etm_get_default_config(pmu);
 #if defined(__aarch64__)
 	} else if (strstarts(pmu->name, ARM_SPE_PMU_NAME)) {
-		return arm_spe_pmu_default_config(pmu);
+		pmu->default_config = arm_spe_pmu_default_config(pmu);
 	} else if (strstarts(pmu->name, HISI_PTT_PMU_NAME)) {
 		pmu->selectable = true;
 #endif
 	}
 
 #endif
-	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/arch/s390/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/arch/s390/util/pmu.c
index 11f03f32e3fd..886c30e001fa 100644
--- a/tools/perf/arch/s390/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/arch/s390/util/pmu.c
@@ -13,11 +13,10 @@
 #define	S390_PMUPAI_EXT		"pai_ext"
 #define	S390_PMUCPUM_CF		"cpum_cf"
 
-struct perf_event_attr *perf_pmu__get_default_config(struct perf_pmu *pmu)
+void perf_pmu__arch_init(struct perf_pmu *pmu)
 {
 	if (!strcmp(pmu->name, S390_PMUPAI_CRYPTO) ||
 	    !strcmp(pmu->name, S390_PMUPAI_EXT) ||
 	    !strcmp(pmu->name, S390_PMUCPUM_CF))
 		pmu->selectable = true;
-	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/pmu.c
index 8b53ca468a50..811e2377d2d5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/pmu.c
@@ -17,19 +17,18 @@
 #include "../../../util/pmus.h"
 #include "env.h"
 
-struct perf_event_attr *perf_pmu__get_default_config(struct perf_pmu *pmu __maybe_unused)
+void perf_pmu__arch_init(struct perf_pmu *pmu __maybe_unused)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_AUXTRACE_SUPPORT
 	if (!strcmp(pmu->name, INTEL_PT_PMU_NAME)) {
 		pmu->auxtrace = true;
-		return intel_pt_pmu_default_config(pmu);
+		pmu->default_config = intel_pt_pmu_default_config(pmu);
 	}
 	if (!strcmp(pmu->name, INTEL_BTS_PMU_NAME)) {
 		pmu->auxtrace = true;
 		pmu->selectable = true;
 	}
 #endif
-	return NULL;
 }
 
 int perf_pmus__num_mem_pmus(void)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
index 6428e2648289..d075da0eecc0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
@@ -954,12 +954,6 @@ void pmu_add_sys_aliases(struct perf_pmu *pmu)
 	pmu_for_each_sys_event(pmu_add_sys_aliases_iter_fn, pmu);
 }
 
-struct perf_event_attr * __weak
-perf_pmu__get_default_config(struct perf_pmu *pmu __maybe_unused)
-{
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 static char *pmu_find_alias_name(struct perf_pmu *pmu, int dirfd)
 {
 	FILE *file = perf_pmu__open_file_at(pmu, dirfd, "alias");
@@ -991,6 +985,11 @@ static int pmu_max_precise(int dirfd, struct perf_pmu *pmu)
 	return max_precise;
 }
 
+void __weak
+perf_pmu__arch_init(struct perf_pmu *pmu __maybe_unused)
+{
+}
+
 struct perf_pmu *perf_pmu__lookup(struct list_head *pmus, int dirfd, const char *name)
 {
 	struct perf_pmu *pmu;
@@ -1037,7 +1036,7 @@ struct perf_pmu *perf_pmu__lookup(struct list_head *pmus, int dirfd, const char
 	pmu_add_sys_aliases(pmu);
 	list_add_tail(&pmu->list, pmus);
 
-	pmu->default_config = perf_pmu__get_default_config(pmu);
+	perf_pmu__arch_init(pmu);
 
 	return pmu;
 err:
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.h b/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
index 85190d058852..588c64e38d6b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ bool perf_pmu__file_exists(struct perf_pmu *pmu, const char *name);
 
 int perf_pmu__test(void);
 
-struct perf_event_attr *perf_pmu__get_default_config(struct perf_pmu *pmu);
+void perf_pmu__arch_init(struct perf_pmu *pmu);
 void pmu_add_cpu_aliases_table(struct perf_pmu *pmu,
 			       const struct pmu_events_table *table);