diff --git a/llvm/tools/llvm-exegesis/lib/Target.h b/llvm/tools/llvm-exegesis/lib/Target.h
--- a/llvm/tools/llvm-exegesis/lib/Target.h
+++ b/llvm/tools/llvm-exegesis/lib/Target.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "llvm/IR/LegacyPassManager.h"
 #include "llvm/MC/MCInst.h"
 #include "llvm/MC/MCRegisterInfo.h"
+#include "llvm/Support/Error.h"
 
 namespace llvm {
 namespace exegesis {
@@ -65,6 +66,10 @@
   explicit ExegesisTarget(ArrayRef<CpuAndPfmCounters> CpuPfmCounters)
       : CpuPfmCounters(CpuPfmCounters) {}
 
+  // Targets can use this to create target-specific perf counters.
+  virtual Expected<std::unique_ptr<pfm::Counter>>
+  createCounter(const char *CounterName, const LLVMState &State) const;
+
   // Targets can use this to add target-specific passes in assembleToStream();
   virtual void addTargetSpecificPasses(PassManagerBase &PM) const {}
 
diff --git a/llvm/tools/llvm-exegesis/lib/Target.cpp b/llvm/tools/llvm-exegesis/lib/Target.cpp
--- a/llvm/tools/llvm-exegesis/lib/Target.cpp
+++ b/llvm/tools/llvm-exegesis/lib/Target.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #include "ParallelSnippetGenerator.h"
 #include "SerialSnippetGenerator.h"
 #include "UopsBenchmarkRunner.h"
+#include "llvm/ADT/Twine.h"
+#include "llvm/Support/Error.h"
 
 namespace llvm {
 namespace exegesis {
@@ -27,6 +29,19 @@
   return nullptr;
 }
 
+Expected<std::unique_ptr<pfm::Counter>>
+ExegesisTarget::createCounter(const char *CounterName,
+                              const LLVMState &) const {
+  pfm::PerfEvent Event(CounterName);
+  if (!Event.valid())
+    return llvm::make_error<Failure>(
+        llvm::Twine("Unable to create counter with name '")
+            .concat(CounterName)
+            .concat("'"));
+
+  return std::make_unique<pfm::Counter>(std::move(Event));
+}
+
 void ExegesisTarget::registerTarget(ExegesisTarget *Target) {
   if (FirstTarget == nullptr) {
     FirstTarget = Target;