diff --git a/lib/libpmc/libpmc.c b/lib/libpmc/libpmc.c
index 6be91a7501f..ceba40aa7b3 100644
--- a/lib/libpmc/libpmc.c
+++ b/lib/libpmc/libpmc.c
@@ -1211,17 +1211,16 @@ pmc_attach(pmc_id_t pmc, pid_t pid)
 int
 pmc_capabilities(pmc_id_t pmcid, uint32_t *caps)
 {
-	unsigned int i;
-	enum pmc_class cl;
+	struct pmc_op_caps args;
+	int status;
 
-	cl = PMC_ID_TO_CLASS(pmcid);
-	for (i = 0; i < cpu_info.pm_nclass; i++)
-		if (cpu_info.pm_classes[i].pm_class == cl) {
-			*caps = cpu_info.pm_classes[i].pm_caps;
-			return (0);
-		}
-	errno = EINVAL;
-	return (-1);
+	args.pm_pmcid = pmcid;
+	args.pm_caps = 0;
+
+	status = PMC_CALL(PMC_OP_GETCAPS, &args);
+	*caps = args.pm_caps;
+
+	return (status);
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/share/man/man4/hwpmc.4 b/share/man/man4/hwpmc.4
index 54a251dcca7..1ab690e5009 100644
--- a/share/man/man4/hwpmc.4
+++ b/share/man/man4/hwpmc.4
@@ -325,6 +325,10 @@ This operation returns to the caller after the write operation
 has returned.
 The returned error code reflects any pending error state inside
 .Nm .
+.It Dv PMC_OP_GETCAPS
+Retrieve the capabilities associated with a specific PMC counter.
+Some capabilities may be limited to specific indices (i.e., not available
+across all counters within a class).
 .It Dv PMC_OP_GETCPUINFO
 Retrieve information about the highest possible CPU number for the system,
 and the number of hardware performance monitoring counters available per CPU.
diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_amd.c b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_amd.c
index c27d93995d5..51505bfcff3 100644
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_amd.c
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_amd.c
@@ -702,6 +702,20 @@ amd_get_msr(int ri, uint32_t *msr)
 	return (0);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Return the capabilities of the given PMC.
+ */
+static int
+amd_get_caps(int ri, uint32_t *caps)
+{
+	KASSERT(ri >= 0 && ri < amd_npmcs,
+	    ("[amd,%d] ri %d out of range", __LINE__, ri));
+
+	*caps = amd_pmcdesc[ri].pm_descr.pd_caps;
+
+	return (0);
+}
+
 /*
  * Processor-dependent initialization.
  */
@@ -958,6 +972,7 @@ pmc_amd_initialize(void)
 	pcd->pcd_start_pmc	= amd_start_pmc;
 	pcd->pcd_stop_pmc	= amd_stop_pmc;
 	pcd->pcd_write_pmc	= amd_write_pmc;
+	pcd->pcd_get_caps	= amd_get_caps;
 
 	pmc_mdep->pmd_cputype	= cputype;
 	pmc_mdep->pmd_intr	= amd_intr;
diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_mod.c b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_mod.c
index 1fa021429c5..fb1fdf83239 100644
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_mod.c
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_mod.c
@@ -4538,6 +4538,51 @@ pmc_syscall_handler(struct thread *td, void *syscall_args)
 	}
 	break;
 
+	/*
+	 * Get the PMC capabilities
+	 */
+
+	case PMC_OP_GETCAPS:
+	{
+		struct pmc_op_caps c;
+		struct pmc *pm;
+		struct pmc_classdep *pcd;
+		pmc_id_t pmcid;
+		int adjri, ri;
+
+		PMC_DOWNGRADE_SX();
+
+		if ((error = copyin(arg, &c, sizeof(c))) != 0)
+			break;
+
+		pmcid = c.pm_pmcid;
+
+		if ((error = pmc_find_pmc(pmcid, &pm)) != 0)
+			break;
+
+		KASSERT(pmcid == pm->pm_id,
+		    ("[pmc,%d] pmc id %x != pmcid %x", __LINE__,
+			pm->pm_id, pmcid));
+
+		ri = PMC_TO_ROWINDEX(pm);
+		pcd = pmc_ri_to_classdep(md, ri, &adjri);
+
+		/*
+		 * If PMC class has no GETCAPS return the class capabilities
+		 * otherwise get the per counter capabilities.
+		 */
+		if (pcd->pcd_get_caps == NULL) {
+			c.pm_caps = pcd->pcd_caps;
+		} else {
+			error = (*pcd->pcd_get_caps)(adjri, &c.pm_caps);
+			if (error < 0)
+				break;
+		}
+
+		if ((error = copyout(&c, arg, sizeof(c))) < 0)
+			break;
+	}
+	break;
 
 	default:
 		error = EINVAL;
diff --git a/sys/sys/pmc.h b/sys/sys/pmc.h
index 7640a9b96c8..244a18e90c3 100644
--- a/sys/sys/pmc.h
+++ b/sys/sys/pmc.h
@@ -346,7 +346,8 @@ enum pmc_event {
 	__PMC_OP(PMCSTOP, "Stop a PMC")					\
 	__PMC_OP(WRITELOG, "Write a cookie to the log file")		\
 	__PMC_OP(CLOSELOG, "Close log file")				\
-	__PMC_OP(GETDYNEVENTINFO, "Get dynamic events list")
+	__PMC_OP(GETDYNEVENTINFO, "Get dynamic events list")		\
+	__PMC_OP(GETCAPS, "Get capabilities")
 
 enum pmc_ops {
 #undef	__PMC_OP
@@ -638,6 +639,17 @@ struct pmc_op_getdyneventinfo {
 	struct pmc_dyn_event_descr	pm_events[PMC_EV_DYN_COUNT];
 };
 
+/*
+ * OP GETCAPS
+ *
+ * Retrieve the PMC capabilties flags for this type of counter.
+ */
+
+struct pmc_op_caps {
+	pmc_id_t	pm_pmcid;	/* allocated pmc id */
+	uint32_t	pm_caps;	/* capabilities */
+};
+
 #ifdef _KERNEL
 
 #include <sys/malloc.h>
@@ -1040,6 +1052,7 @@ struct pmc_classdep {
 	/* description */
 	int (*pcd_describe)(int _cpu, int _ri, struct pmc_info *_pi,
 		struct pmc **_ppmc);
+	int (*pcd_get_caps)(int _ri, uint32_t *_caps);
 
 	/* class-dependent initialization & finalization */
 	int (*pcd_pcpu_init)(struct pmc_mdep *_md, int _cpu);