diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index 7006f848f87a..84e06ec09cc2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -624,8 +624,9 @@ static enum counter_recovery stat_handle_error(struct evsel *counter, int err)
 	 */
 	if (err == EINVAL || err == ENOSYS || err == ENOENT || err == ENXIO) {
 		if (verbose > 0) {
-			ui__warning("%s event is not supported by the kernel.\n",
-				    evsel__name(counter));
+			evsel__open_strerror(counter, &target, err, msg, sizeof(msg));
+			ui__warning("%s event is not supported by the kernel.\n%s\n",
+				    evsel__name(counter), msg);
 		}
 		return COUNTER_SKIP;
 	}
@@ -649,10 +650,11 @@ static enum counter_recovery stat_handle_error(struct evsel *counter, int err)
 		}
 	}
 	if (verbose > 0) {
+		evsel__open_strerror(counter, &target, err, msg, sizeof(msg));
 		ui__warning(err == EOPNOTSUPP
-			? "%s event is not supported by the kernel.\n"
-			: "skipping event %s that kernel failed to open.\n",
-			evsel__name(counter));
+			? "%s event is not supported by the kernel.\n%s\n"
+			: "skipping event %s that kernel failed to open.\n%s\n",
+			evsel__name(counter), msg);
 	}
 	return COUNTER_SKIP;
 }