diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index 2808f2aa9a82..bf640abc9c41 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -539,26 +539,14 @@ static int enable_counters(void)
 			return err;
 	}
 
-	if (stat_config.initial_delay < 0) {
-		pr_info(EVLIST_DISABLED_MSG);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	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)) {
 		if (!all_counters_use_bpf)
 			evlist__enable(evsel_list);
-		if (stat_config.initial_delay > 0)
-			pr_info(EVLIST_ENABLED_MSG);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -926,14 +914,27 @@ try_again_reset:
 			return err;
 	}
 
-	err = enable_counters();
-	if (err)
-		return -1;
+	if (stat_config.initial_delay) {
+		pr_info(EVLIST_DISABLED_MSG);
+	} else {
+		err = enable_counters();
+		if (err)
+			return -1;
+	}
 
 	/* Exec the command, if any */
 	if (forks)
 		evlist__start_workload(evsel_list);
 
+	if (stat_config.initial_delay > 0) {
+		usleep(stat_config.initial_delay * USEC_PER_MSEC);
+		err = enable_counters();
+		if (err)
+			return -1;
+
+		pr_info(EVLIST_ENABLED_MSG);
+	}
+
 	t0 = rdclock();
 	clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ref_time);