diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
index 63ee040..ac41350 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
           /sys/bus/event_sources/devices/<pmu>/format/*
 
 	  There are also some params which are not defined in .../<pmu>/format/*.
-	  These params can be used to set event defaults.
+	  These params can be used to overload default config values per event.
 	  Here is a list of the params.
 	  - 'period': Set event sampling period
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/tests/parse-events.c
index d76963f..f65bb89 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/parse-events.c
@@ -82,8 +82,12 @@
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong type", PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE == evsel->attr.type);
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong config",
 			PERF_COUNT_HW_CPU_CYCLES == evsel->attr.config);
+	/*
+	 * The period value gets configured within perf_evlist__config,
+	 * while this test executes only parse events method.
+	 */
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong period",
-			100000 == evsel->attr.sample_period);
+			0 == evsel->attr.sample_period);
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong config1",
 			0 == evsel->attr.config1);
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong config2",
@@ -406,7 +410,11 @@
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong config",    10 == evsel->attr.config);
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong config1",    1 == evsel->attr.config1);
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong config2",    3 == evsel->attr.config2);
-	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong period",  1000 == evsel->attr.sample_period);
+	/*
+	 * The period value gets configured within perf_evlist__config,
+	 * while this test executes only parse events method.
+	 */
+	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("wrong period",     0 == evsel->attr.sample_period);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 048d61d..7d3acba 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -594,6 +594,8 @@
 
 	list_for_each_entry(term, config_terms, list) {
 		switch (term->type) {
+		case PERF_EVSEL__CONFIG_TERM_PERIOD:
+			attr->sample_period = term->val.period;
 		default:
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
index 0339819..a7d2175 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
  * perf_evsel::config_terms list head.
 */
 enum {
+	PERF_EVSEL__CONFIG_TERM_PERIOD,
 	PERF_EVSEL__CONFIG_TERM_MAX,
 };
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 3271d13..09bee93 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -596,7 +596,6 @@
 		break;
 	case PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_SAMPLE_PERIOD:
 		CHECK_TYPE_VAL(NUM);
-		attr->sample_period = term->val.num;
 		break;
 	case PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_BRANCH_SAMPLE_TYPE:
 		/*
@@ -649,6 +648,8 @@
 
 	list_for_each_entry(term, head_config, list) {
 		switch (term->type_term) {
+		case PARSE_EVENTS__TERM_TYPE_SAMPLE_PERIOD:
+			ADD_CONFIG_TERM(PERIOD, period, term->val.num);
 		default:
 			break;
 		}