diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
index e11c66bd23e7..aca8d2380509 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
@@ -5144,6 +5144,7 @@ static const char *scx_cap_names[__SCX_NR_CAPS] = {
 	[__SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED]	= "enq_immed",
 	[__SCX_CAP_ENQ]		= "enq",
 	[__SCX_CAP_PREEMPT]	= "preempt",
+	[__SCX_CAP_PERF]	= "perf",
 };
 
 static ssize_t scx_attr_caps_show(struct kobject *kobj,
@@ -9786,6 +9787,7 @@ static s32 scx_cpuperf_set(struct scx_sched *sch, s32 cpu, u32 perf)
 {
 	struct rq *rq, *locked_rq;
 	struct rq_flags rf;
+	s32 ret;
 
 	if (unlikely(perf > SCX_CPUPERF_ONE)) {
 		scx_error(sch, "Invalid cpuperf target %u for CPU %d", perf, cpu);
@@ -9816,13 +9818,24 @@ static s32 scx_cpuperf_set(struct scx_sched *sch, s32 cpu, u32 perf)
 		update_rq_clock(rq);
 	}
 
-	rq->scx.cpuperf_target = perf;
-	cpufreq_update_util(rq, 0);
+	/*
+	 * ecaps updates are folded under the rq lock, making this test
+	 * authoritative: a write can never land after a revoke has taken
+	 * effect on @cpu.
+	 */
+	if (likely(!scx_missing_caps(sch, cpu, SCX_CAP_PERF))) {
+		rq->scx.cpuperf_target = perf;
+		cpufreq_update_util(rq, 0);
+		ret = 0;
+	} else {
+		__scx_add_event(sch, SCX_EV_SUB_CIDPERF_DENIED, 1);
+		ret = -EACCES;
+	}
 
 	if (!locked_rq)
 		rq_unlock_irqrestore(rq, &rf);
 
-	return 0;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -9859,10 +9872,13 @@ __bpf_kfunc void scx_bpf_cpuperf_set(s32 cpu, u32 perf, const struct bpf_prog_au
  * @perf: target performance level [0, %SCX_CPUPERF_ONE]
  * @aux: implicit BPF argument to access bpf_prog_aux hidden from BPF progs
  *
- * cid-addressed equivalent of scx_bpf_cpuperf_set().
+ * cid-addressed equivalent of scx_bpf_cpuperf_set(). A sub-sched needs
+ * SCX_CAP_PERF on @cid. Returns 0 if the target was applied, -%EACCES if
+ * the write was denied for missing caps, other -errnos if @cid didn't
+ * resolve.
  */
-__bpf_kfunc void scx_bpf_cidperf_set(s32 cid, u32 perf,
-				     const struct bpf_prog_aux *aux)
+__bpf_kfunc s32 scx_bpf_cidperf_set(s32 cid, u32 perf,
+				    const struct bpf_prog_aux *aux)
 {
 	struct scx_sched *sch;
 	s32 cpu;
@@ -9871,11 +9887,12 @@ __bpf_kfunc void scx_bpf_cidperf_set(s32 cid, u32 perf,
 
 	sch = scx_prog_sched(aux);
 	if (unlikely(!sch))
-		return;
+		return -ENODEV;
 	cpu = scx_cid_to_cpu(sch, cid);
 	if (cpu < 0)
-		return;
-	scx_bpf_cpuperf_set(cpu, perf, aux);
+		return cpu;
+
+	return scx_cpuperf_set(sch, cpu, perf);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/internal.h b/kernel/sched/ext/internal.h
index 308d16320818..886f1d132e6b 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext/internal.h
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext/internal.h
@@ -1206,6 +1206,12 @@ struct scx_event_stats {
 	 * sub-sched lacked baseline access on the target cid.
 	 */
 	s64		SCX_EV_SUB_REENQ_DENIED;
+
+	/*
+	 * The number of times scx_bpf_cidperf_set() was denied because the
+	 * sub-sched lacked SCX_CAP_PERF on the target cid.
+	 */
+	s64		SCX_EV_SUB_CIDPERF_DENIED;
 };
 
 #define SCX_EVENTS_LIST(SCX_EVENT)					\
@@ -1227,7 +1233,8 @@ struct scx_event_stats {
 	SCX_EVENT(SCX_EV_SUB_FORCED_ADMIT);				\
 	SCX_EVENT(SCX_EV_SUB_PREEMPT_DENIED);				\
 	SCX_EVENT(SCX_EV_SUB_KICK_DENIED);				\
-	SCX_EVENT(SCX_EV_SUB_REENQ_DENIED)
+	SCX_EVENT(SCX_EV_SUB_REENQ_DENIED);				\
+	SCX_EVENT(SCX_EV_SUB_CIDPERF_DENIED)
 
 struct scx_sched;
 
@@ -1353,6 +1360,11 @@ struct scx_sched_pnode {
  *            - SCX_ENQ_PREEMPT inserts
  *            - SCX_KICK_PREEMPT kicks
  *
+ * PERF       control the cid's cpu power/perf management state, currently the
+ *            cpufreq target set through scx_bpf_cidperf_set(). Hardware
+ *            control is a separate axis from queue access: PERF neither
+ *            implies nor is implied by the caps above.
+ *
  * Implied caps apply to the holder's own use of a cid, not to delegation.
  * scx_bpf_sub_grant() delegates literally-held caps, so a cap held only through
  * implication is usable but cannot be re-delegated to a child. When granting a
@@ -1363,6 +1375,7 @@ enum scx_cap_flags {
 	__SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED		= 0,
 	__SCX_CAP_ENQ			= 1,
 	__SCX_CAP_PREEMPT		= 2,
+	__SCX_CAP_PERF			= 3,
 
 	__SCX_NR_CAPS,
 	__SCX_CAP_ALL			= BIT_U64(__SCX_NR_CAPS) - 1,
@@ -1370,6 +1383,7 @@ enum scx_cap_flags {
 	SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED		= BIT_U64(__SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED),
 	SCX_CAP_ENQ			= BIT_U64(__SCX_CAP_ENQ),
 	SCX_CAP_PREEMPT			= BIT_U64(__SCX_CAP_PREEMPT),
+	SCX_CAP_PERF			= BIT_U64(__SCX_CAP_PERF),
 
 	/* alias for minimal cap to make any use of a cpu */
 	SCX_CAP_BASE			= SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED,
diff --git a/tools/sched_ext/include/scx/common.bpf.h b/tools/sched_ext/include/scx/common.bpf.h
index acc2b131ea8f..6035d007c43f 100644
--- a/tools/sched_ext/include/scx/common.bpf.h
+++ b/tools/sched_ext/include/scx/common.bpf.h
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ u32 scx_bpf_nr_cids(void) __ksym __weak;
 u32 scx_bpf_nr_online_cids(void) __ksym __weak;
 u32 scx_bpf_cidperf_cap(s32 cid) __ksym __weak;
 u32 scx_bpf_cidperf_cur(s32 cid) __ksym __weak;
-void scx_bpf_cidperf_set(s32 cid, u32 perf) __ksym __weak;
+s32 scx_bpf_cidperf_set(s32 cid, u32 perf) __ksym __weak;
 
 /* sub-scheduler cap control, scx_bpf_sub_caps() cgroup_id 0 == self */
 s32 scx_bpf_sub_grant(u64 cgroup_id, u64 caps, const struct scx_cmask *cmask,
diff --git a/tools/sched_ext/scx_qmap.bpf.c b/tools/sched_ext/scx_qmap.bpf.c
index aead17658573..8822ed11c0d8 100644
--- a/tools/sched_ext/scx_qmap.bpf.c
+++ b/tools/sched_ext/scx_qmap.bpf.c
@@ -1585,11 +1585,13 @@ __noinline void apply_partition(void)
 		cmask_copy(&qa.to_grant_cids.mask, &ssc->granted_cids.mask);
 		cmask_andnot(&qa.to_grant_cids.mask, &ssc->prev_granted.mask);
 
-		scx_bpf_sub_revoke(cgid, SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED,
+		scx_bpf_sub_revoke(cgid, SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED | SCX_CAP_PERF,
 				   (void *)(long)&qa.prev_rr_cids.mask);
-		scx_bpf_sub_revoke(cgid, SCX_CAP_ENQ | SCX_CAP_PREEMPT | SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED,
+		scx_bpf_sub_revoke(cgid, SCX_CAP_ENQ | SCX_CAP_PREEMPT |
+				   SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED | SCX_CAP_PERF,
 				   (void *)(long)&qa.to_revoke_cids.mask);
-		scx_bpf_sub_grant(cgid, SCX_CAP_ENQ | SCX_CAP_PREEMPT | SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED,
+		scx_bpf_sub_grant(cgid, SCX_CAP_ENQ | SCX_CAP_PREEMPT |
+				  SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED | SCX_CAP_PERF,
 				  (void *)(long)&qa.to_grant_cids.mask, NULL);
 	}
 
@@ -1605,7 +1607,8 @@ __noinline void apply_partition(void)
 
 		holder_cgid = qa.part.rr_slots[pos];	/* 0 = self, nothing to grant */
 		if (holder_cgid)
-			scx_bpf_sub_grant(holder_cgid, SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED,
+			scx_bpf_sub_grant(holder_cgid,
+					  SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED | SCX_CAP_PERF,
 					  (void *)(long)&qa.rr_cids.mask, NULL);
 	}
 }
@@ -1696,10 +1699,12 @@ static void rr_advance(void)
 		 * time-share.
 		 */
 		if (old_cgid)
-			scx_bpf_sub_revoke(old_cgid, SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED,
+			scx_bpf_sub_revoke(old_cgid,
+					   SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED | SCX_CAP_PERF,
 					   (void *)(long)&qa.rr_cids.mask);
 		if (new_cgid)
-			scx_bpf_sub_grant(new_cgid, SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED,
+			scx_bpf_sub_grant(new_cgid,
+					  SCX_CAP_ENQ_IMMED | SCX_CAP_PERF,
 					  (void *)(long)&qa.rr_cids.mask, NULL);
 	}