diff --git a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_os.c b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_os.c
index 03348f605c2e..dd674378f2f3 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_os.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_os.c
@@ -2889,7 +2889,7 @@ static void qla2x00_iocb_work_fn(struct work_struct *work)
 static void
 qla_trace_init(void)
 {
-	qla_trc_array = trace_array_get_by_name("qla2xxx");
+	qla_trc_array = trace_array_get_by_name("qla2xxx", NULL);
 	if (!qla_trc_array) {
 		ql_log(ql_log_fatal, NULL, 0x0001,
 		       "Unable to create qla2xxx trace instance, instance logging will be disabled.\n");
diff --git a/include/linux/trace.h b/include/linux/trace.h
index 2a70a447184c..fdcd76b7be83 100644
--- a/include/linux/trace.h
+++ b/include/linux/trace.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ int trace_array_printk(struct trace_array *tr, unsigned long ip,
 		       const char *fmt, ...);
 int trace_array_init_printk(struct trace_array *tr);
 void trace_array_put(struct trace_array *tr);
-struct trace_array *trace_array_get_by_name(const char *name);
+struct trace_array *trace_array_get_by_name(const char *name, const char *systems);
 int trace_array_destroy(struct trace_array *tr);
 
 /* For osnoise tracer */
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ static inline int trace_array_init_printk(struct trace_array *tr)
 static inline void trace_array_put(struct trace_array *tr)
 {
 }
-static inline struct trace_array *trace_array_get_by_name(const char *name)
+static inline struct trace_array *trace_array_get_by_name(const char *name, const char *systems)
 {
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace.c b/kernel/trace/trace.c
index fbcd3bafb93e..31fb03d105e9 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace.c
@@ -9480,7 +9480,8 @@ static int trace_array_create_dir(struct trace_array *tr)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static struct trace_array *trace_array_create(const char *name)
+static struct trace_array *
+trace_array_create_systems(const char *name, const char *systems)
 {
 	struct trace_array *tr;
 	int ret;
@@ -9500,6 +9501,12 @@ static struct trace_array *trace_array_create(const char *name)
 	if (!zalloc_cpumask_var(&tr->pipe_cpumask, GFP_KERNEL))
 		goto out_free_tr;
 
+	if (systems) {
+		tr->system_names = kstrdup_const(systems, GFP_KERNEL);
+		if (!tr->system_names)
+			goto out_free_tr;
+	}
+
 	tr->trace_flags = global_trace.trace_flags & ~ZEROED_TRACE_FLAGS;
 
 	cpumask_copy(tr->tracing_cpumask, cpu_all_mask);
@@ -9546,12 +9553,18 @@ static struct trace_array *trace_array_create(const char *name)
 	free_trace_buffers(tr);
 	free_cpumask_var(tr->pipe_cpumask);
 	free_cpumask_var(tr->tracing_cpumask);
+	kfree_const(tr->system_names);
 	kfree(tr->name);
 	kfree(tr);
 
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 
+static struct trace_array *trace_array_create(const char *name)
+{
+	return trace_array_create_systems(name, NULL);
+}
+
 static int instance_mkdir(const char *name)
 {
 	struct trace_array *tr;
@@ -9577,6 +9590,7 @@ static int instance_mkdir(const char *name)
 /**
  * trace_array_get_by_name - Create/Lookup a trace array, given its name.
  * @name: The name of the trace array to be looked up/created.
+ * @system: A list of systems to create event directories for (NULL for all)
  *
  * Returns pointer to trace array with given name.
  * NULL, if it cannot be created.
@@ -9590,7 +9604,7 @@ static int instance_mkdir(const char *name)
  * trace_array_put() is called, user space can not delete it.
  *
  */
-struct trace_array *trace_array_get_by_name(const char *name)
+struct trace_array *trace_array_get_by_name(const char *name, const char *systems)
 {
 	struct trace_array *tr;
 
@@ -9602,7 +9616,7 @@ struct trace_array *trace_array_get_by_name(const char *name)
 			goto out_unlock;
 	}
 
-	tr = trace_array_create(name);
+	tr = trace_array_create_systems(name, systems);
 
 	if (IS_ERR(tr))
 		tr = NULL;
@@ -9649,6 +9663,7 @@ static int __remove_instance(struct trace_array *tr)
 
 	free_cpumask_var(tr->pipe_cpumask);
 	free_cpumask_var(tr->tracing_cpumask);
+	kfree_const(tr->system_names);
 	kfree(tr->name);
 	kfree(tr);
 
@@ -10367,7 +10382,7 @@ __init static void enable_instances(void)
 		if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_TRACER_MAX_TRACE))
 			do_allocate_snapshot(tok);
 
-		tr = trace_array_get_by_name(tok);
+		tr = trace_array_get_by_name(tok, NULL);
 		if (!tr) {
 			pr_warn("Failed to create instance buffer %s\n", curr_str);
 			continue;
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace.h b/kernel/trace/trace.h
index b7f4ea25a194..97b01dfd7070 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace.h
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace.h
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ struct trace_array {
 	unsigned char		trace_flags_index[TRACE_FLAGS_MAX_SIZE];
 	unsigned int		flags;
 	raw_spinlock_t		start_lock;
+	const char		*system_names;
 	struct list_head	err_log;
 	struct dentry		*dir;
 	struct dentry		*options;
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_boot.c b/kernel/trace/trace_boot.c
index 7ccc7a8e155b..dbe29b4c6a7a 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_boot.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_boot.c
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ trace_boot_init_instances(struct xbc_node *node)
 		if (!p || *p == '\0')
 			continue;
 
-		tr = trace_array_get_by_name(p);
+		tr = trace_array_get_by_name(p, NULL);
 		if (!tr) {
 			pr_err("Failed to get trace instance %s\n", p);
 			continue;
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
index f29e815ca5b2..b70d03818038 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
@@ -2896,6 +2896,27 @@ void trace_event_eval_update(struct trace_eval_map **map, int len)
 	up_write(&trace_event_sem);
 }
 
+static bool event_in_systems(struct trace_event_call *call,
+			     const char *systems)
+{
+	const char *system;
+	const char *p;
+
+	if (!systems)
+		return true;
+
+	system = call->class->system;
+	p = strstr(systems, system);
+	if (!p)
+		return false;
+
+	if (p != systems && !isspace(*(p - 1)) && *(p - 1) != ',')
+		return false;
+
+	p += strlen(system);
+	return !*p || isspace(*p) || *p == ',';
+}
+
 static struct trace_event_file *
 trace_create_new_event(struct trace_event_call *call,
 		       struct trace_array *tr)
@@ -2905,9 +2926,12 @@ trace_create_new_event(struct trace_event_call *call,
 	struct trace_event_file *file;
 	unsigned int first;
 
+	if (!event_in_systems(call, tr->system_names))
+		return NULL;
+
 	file = kmem_cache_alloc(file_cachep, GFP_TRACE);
 	if (!file)
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	pid_list = rcu_dereference_protected(tr->filtered_pids,
 					     lockdep_is_held(&event_mutex));
@@ -2972,8 +2996,17 @@ __trace_add_new_event(struct trace_event_call *call, struct trace_array *tr)
 	struct trace_event_file *file;
 
 	file = trace_create_new_event(call, tr);
+	/*
+	 * trace_create_new_event() returns ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM) if failed
+	 * allocation, or NULL if the event is not part of the tr->system_names.
+	 * When the event is not part of the tr->system_names, return zero, not
+	 * an error.
+	 */
 	if (!file)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return 0;
+
+	if (IS_ERR(file))
+		return PTR_ERR(file);
 
 	if (eventdir_initialized)
 		return event_create_dir(tr->event_dir, file);
@@ -3012,8 +3045,17 @@ __trace_early_add_new_event(struct trace_event_call *call,
 	int ret;
 
 	file = trace_create_new_event(call, tr);
+	/*
+	 * trace_create_new_event() returns ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM) if failed
+	 * allocation, or NULL if the event is not part of the tr->system_names.
+	 * When the event is not part of the tr->system_names, return zero, not
+	 * an error.
+	 */
 	if (!file)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return 0;
+
+	if (IS_ERR(file))
+		return PTR_ERR(file);
 
 	ret = event_define_fields(call);
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/samples/ftrace/sample-trace-array.c b/samples/ftrace/sample-trace-array.c
index 6aba02a31c96..d0ee9001c7b3 100644
--- a/samples/ftrace/sample-trace-array.c
+++ b/samples/ftrace/sample-trace-array.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static int __init sample_trace_array_init(void)
 	 * NOTE: This function increments the reference counter
 	 * associated with the trace array - "tr".
 	 */
-	tr = trace_array_get_by_name("sample-instance");
+	tr = trace_array_get_by_name("sample-instance", "sched,timer,kprobes");
 
 	if (!tr)
 		return -1;
