diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-stat.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-stat.txt
index b029ee728a0b..9f32f6cd558d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-stat.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-stat.txt
@@ -238,8 +238,9 @@ mode, use --per-node in addition to -a. (system-wide).
 
 -D msecs::
 --delay msecs::
-After starting the program, wait msecs before measuring. This is useful to
-filter out the startup phase of the program, which is often very different.
+After starting the program, wait msecs before measuring (-1: start with events
+disabled). This is useful to filter out the startup phase of the program,
+which is often very different.
 
 -T::
 --transaction::
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index a5a0f4841003..9d5c503e698f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -487,16 +487,26 @@ static bool handle_interval(unsigned int interval, int *times)
 
 static void enable_counters(void)
 {
-	if (stat_config.initial_delay)
+	if (stat_config.initial_delay < 0) {
+		pr_info(EVLIST_DISABLED_MSG);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (stat_config.initial_delay > 0) {
+		pr_info(EVLIST_DISABLED_MSG);
 		usleep(stat_config.initial_delay * USEC_PER_MSEC);
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * We need to enable counters only if:
 	 * - we don't have tracee (attaching to task or cpu)
 	 * - we have initial delay configured
 	 */
-	if (!target__none(&target) || stat_config.initial_delay)
+	if (!target__none(&target) || stat_config.initial_delay) {
 		evlist__enable(evsel_list);
+		if (stat_config.initial_delay > 0)
+			pr_info(EVLIST_ENABLED_MSG);
+	}
 }
 
 static void disable_counters(void)
@@ -1053,8 +1063,8 @@ static struct option stat_options[] = {
 		     "aggregate counts per thread", AGGR_THREAD),
 	OPT_SET_UINT(0, "per-node", &stat_config.aggr_mode,
 		     "aggregate counts per numa node", AGGR_NODE),
-	OPT_UINTEGER('D', "delay", &stat_config.initial_delay,
-		     "ms to wait before starting measurement after program start"),
+	OPT_INTEGER('D', "delay", &stat_config.initial_delay,
+		    "ms to wait before starting measurement after program start (-1: start with events disabled)"),
 	OPT_CALLBACK_NOOPT(0, "metric-only", &stat_config.metric_only, NULL,
 			"Only print computed metrics. No raw values", enable_metric_only),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN(0, "metric-no-group", &stat_config.metric_no_group,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index ec676accc76b..c73f7f7f120b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -378,4 +378,7 @@ int evlist__finalize_ctlfd(struct evlist *evlist);
 bool evlist__ctlfd_initialized(struct evlist *evlist);
 int evlist__ctlfd_process(struct evlist *evlist, enum evlist_ctl_cmd *cmd);
 
+#define EVLIST_ENABLED_MSG "Events enabled\n"
+#define EVLIST_DISABLED_MSG "Events disabled\n"
+
 #endif /* __PERF_EVLIST_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/stat.h b/tools/perf/util/stat.h
index 6911c7249199..41d59f192931 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/stat.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/stat.h
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ struct perf_stat_config {
 	FILE			*output;
 	unsigned int		 interval;
 	unsigned int		 timeout;
-	unsigned int		 initial_delay;
+	int			 initial_delay;
 	unsigned int		 unit_width;
 	unsigned int		 metric_only_len;
 	int			 times;