diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
index a550f030b85d..836e3b5615cd 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
@@ -2660,8 +2660,12 @@ bool perf_pmu__wildcard_match(const struct perf_pmu *pmu, const char *wildcard_t
 		pmu->name,
 		pmu->alias_name,
 	};
-	bool need_fnmatch = strisglob(wildcard_to_match);
+	bool need_fnmatch;
 
+	if (pmu->is_core && !strcmp(wildcard_to_match, "default_core"))
+		return true;
+
+	need_fnmatch = strisglob(wildcard_to_match);
 	if (!strncmp(wildcard_to_match, "uncore_", 7))
 		wildcard_to_match += 7;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmus.c b/tools/perf/util/pmus.c
index 5e3f571450fe..e0a4cb2428ca 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmus.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmus.c
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ struct perf_pmu *perf_pmus__find(const char *name)
 	bool core_pmu;
 	unsigned int to_read_pmus = 0;
 
+	if (!strcmp(name, "default_core"))
+		return perf_pmus__find_core_pmu();
 	/*
 	 * Once PMU is loaded it stays in the list,
 	 * so we keep us from multiple reading/parsing