diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_core.c b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_core.c
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_core.c
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_core.c
@@ -750,6 +750,9 @@
 	KASSERT(ri >= 0 && ri < core_iap_npmc,
 	    ("[core,%d] illegal row-index value %d", __LINE__, ri));
 
+	if (a->pm_class != PMC_CLASS_IAP)
+		return (EINVAL);
+
 	/* check requested capabilities */
 	caps = a->pm_caps;
 	if ((IAP_PMC_CAPS & caps) != caps)
diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_e500.c b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_e500.c
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_e500.c
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_e500.c
@@ -376,6 +376,9 @@
 	KASSERT(ri >= 0 && ri < E500_MAX_PMCS,
 	    ("[powerpc,%d] illegal row index %d", __LINE__, ri));
 
+	if (a->pm_class != PMC_CLASS_E500)
+		return (EINVAL);
+
 	caps = a->pm_caps;
 
 	pe = a->pm_ev;
diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_mpc7xxx.c b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_mpc7xxx.c
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_mpc7xxx.c
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_mpc7xxx.c
@@ -471,6 +471,7 @@
 	ppc_event_first = PMC_EV_PPC7450_FIRST;
 	ppc_event_last = PMC_EV_PPC7450_LAST;
 	ppc_max_pmcs = MPC7XXX_MAX_PMCS;
+	ppc_class = pcd->pcd_class;
 
 	powerpc_set_pmc = mpc7xxx_set_pmc;
 	powerpc_pmcn_read = mpc7xxx_pmcn_read;
diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_power8.c b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_power8.c
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_power8.c
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_power8.c
@@ -167,6 +167,9 @@
 	counter = PM_EVENT_COUNTER(pe);
 	config = PM_EVENT_CODE(pe);
 
+	if (a->pm_class != PMC_CLASS_POWER8)
+		return (EINVAL);
+
 	/*
 	 * PMC5 and PMC6 are not programmable and always count instructions
 	 * completed and cycles, respectively.
diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_powerpc.h b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_powerpc.h
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_powerpc.h
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_powerpc.h
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
 extern int ppc_event_first;
 extern int ppc_event_last;
 extern int ppc_max_pmcs;
+extern enum pmc_class ppc_class;
 
 extern void (*powerpc_set_pmc)(int cpu, int ri, int config);
 extern pmc_value_t (*powerpc_pmcn_read)(unsigned int pmc);
diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_powerpc.c b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_powerpc.c
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_powerpc.c
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_powerpc.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 int ppc_event_first;
 int ppc_event_last;
 int ppc_max_pmcs;
+enum pmc_class ppc_class;
 
 void (*powerpc_set_pmc)(int cpu, int ri, int config);
 pmc_value_t (*powerpc_pmcn_read)(unsigned int pmc);
@@ -211,6 +212,9 @@
 	KASSERT(ri >= 0 && ri < ppc_max_pmcs,
 	    ("[powerpc,%d] illegal row index %d", __LINE__, ri));
 
+	if (a->pm_class != ppc_class)
+		return (EINVAL);
+
 	caps = a->pm_caps;
 
 	pe = a->pm_ev;
diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_ppc970.c b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_ppc970.c
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_ppc970.c
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_ppc970.c
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@
 	ppc_event_first = PMC_EV_PPC970_FIRST;
 	ppc_event_last = PMC_EV_PPC970_LAST;
 	ppc_max_pmcs = PPC970_MAX_PMCS;
+	ppc_class = pcd->pcd_class;
 
 	powerpc_set_pmc = ppc970_set_pmc;
 	powerpc_pmcn_read = powerpc_pmcn_read_default;
diff --git a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_uncore.c b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_uncore.c
--- a/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_uncore.c
+++ b/sys/dev/hwpmc/hwpmc_uncore.c
@@ -530,6 +530,9 @@
 	KASSERT(ri >= 0 && ri < uncore_ucp_npmc,
 	    ("[uncore,%d] illegal row-index value %d", __LINE__, ri));
 
+	if (a->pm_class != PMC_CLASS_UCP)
+		return (EINVAL);
+
 	/* check requested capabilities */
 	caps = a->pm_caps;
 	if ((UCP_PMC_CAPS & caps) != caps)