diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/cpu/intel.c b/xen/arch/x86/cpu/intel.c
index dfee64689f..b5490eb06e 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/cpu/intel.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/cpu/intel.c
@@ -533,9 +533,30 @@ static void cf_check init_intel(struct cpuinfo_x86 *c)
 	init_intel_cacheinfo(c);
 	if (c->cpuid_level > 9) {
 		unsigned eax = cpuid_eax(10);
+		unsigned int cnt = (eax >> 8) & 0xff;
+
 		/* Check for version and the number of counters */
-		if ((eax & 0xff) && (((eax>>8) & 0xff) > 1))
+		if ((eax & 0xff) && (cnt > 1) && (cnt <= 32)) {
+			uint64_t global_ctrl;
+			unsigned int cnt_mask = (1UL << cnt) - 1;
+
+			/*
+			 * On (some?) Sapphire/Emerald Rapids platforms each
+			 * package-BSP starts with all the enable bits for the
+			 * general-purpose PMCs cleared.  Adjust so counters
+			 * can be enabled from EVNTSEL.
+			 */
+			rdmsrl(MSR_CORE_PERF_GLOBAL_CTRL, global_ctrl);
+			if ((global_ctrl & cnt_mask) != cnt_mask) {
+				printk("CPU%u: invalid PERF_GLOBAL_CTRL: %#"
+				       PRIx64 " adjusting to %#" PRIx64 "\n",
+				       smp_processor_id(), global_ctrl,
+				       global_ctrl | cnt_mask);
+				wrmsrl(MSR_CORE_PERF_GLOBAL_CTRL,
+				       global_ctrl | cnt_mask);
+			}
 			__set_bit(X86_FEATURE_ARCH_PERFMON, c->x86_capability);
+		}
 	}
 
 	if ( !cpu_has(c, X86_FEATURE_XTOPOLOGY) )