diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index 95db31c..5f41244 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -159,8 +159,10 @@
 		}
 	} else {
 		attr->inherit	     = inherit;
-		attr->disabled	     = 1;
-		attr->enable_on_exec = 1;
+		if (target_pid == -1) {
+			attr->disabled = 1;
+			attr->enable_on_exec = 1;
+		}
 
 		fd[0][counter] = sys_perf_event_open(attr, pid, -1, -1, 0);
 		if (fd[0][counter] < 0 && verbose)
@@ -251,9 +253,9 @@
 	unsigned long long t0, t1;
 	int status = 0;
 	int counter;
-	int pid = target_pid;
+	int pid;
 	int child_ready_pipe[2], go_pipe[2];
-	const bool forks = (target_pid == -1 && argc > 0);
+	const bool forks = (argc > 0);
 	char buf;
 
 	if (!system_wide)
@@ -265,10 +267,10 @@
 	}
 
 	if (forks) {
-		if ((pid = fork()) < 0)
+		if ((child_pid = fork()) < 0)
 			perror("failed to fork");
 
-		if (!pid) {
+		if (!child_pid) {
 			close(child_ready_pipe[0]);
 			close(go_pipe[1]);
 			fcntl(go_pipe[0], F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC);
@@ -297,8 +299,6 @@
 			exit(-1);
 		}
 
-		child_pid = pid;
-
 		/*
 		 * Wait for the child to be ready to exec.
 		 */
@@ -309,6 +309,10 @@
 		close(child_ready_pipe[0]);
 	}
 
+	if (target_pid == -1)
+		pid = child_pid;
+	else
+		pid = target_pid;
 	for (counter = 0; counter < nr_counters; counter++)
 		create_perf_stat_counter(counter, pid);
 
@@ -321,7 +325,7 @@
 		close(go_pipe[1]);
 		wait(&status);
 	} else {
-		while(!done);
+		while(!done) sleep(1);
 	}
 
 	t1 = rdclock();
@@ -459,7 +463,7 @@
 
 static void skip_signal(int signo)
 {
-	if(target_pid != -1)
+	if(child_pid == -1)
 		done = 1;
 
 	signr = signo;