bool show_ext_vars;
        bool show_funcs;
        bool mod_events;
+       bool del_events;
        bool uprobes;
        bool quiet;
        bool target_used;
        int nevents;
        struct perf_probe_event events[MAX_PROBES];
-       struct strlist *dellist;
        struct line_range line_range;
        char *target;
        int max_probe_points;
                               const char *str, int unset __maybe_unused)
 {
        if (str) {
-               params.mod_events = true;
-               if (!params.dellist)
-                       params.dellist = strlist__new(true, NULL);
-               strlist__add(params.dellist, str);
+               params.del_events = true;
+               return params_add_filter(str);
        }
        return 0;
 }
 
        for (i = 0; i < params.nevents; i++)
                clear_perf_probe_event(params.events + i);
-       if (params.dellist)
-               strlist__delete(params.dellist);
        line_range__clear(¶ms.line_range);
        free(params.target);
        if (params.filter)
        if (params.max_probe_points == 0)
                params.max_probe_points = MAX_PROBES;
 
-       if ((!params.nevents && !params.dellist && !params.list_events &&
+       if ((!params.nevents && !params.del_events && !params.list_events &&
             !params.show_lines && !params.show_funcs))
                usage_with_options(probe_usage, options);
 
        }
 #endif
 
-       if (params.dellist) {
-               ret = del_perf_probe_events(params.dellist);
+       if (params.del_events) {
+               ret = del_perf_probe_events(params.filter);
                if (ret < 0) {
                        pr_err_with_code("  Error: Failed to delete events.", ret);
                        return ret;
 
        return ret;
 }
 
-static int del_trace_probe_event(int fd, const char *buf,
-                                                 struct strlist *namelist)
+static int del_trace_probe_events(int fd, struct strfilter *filter,
+                                 struct strlist *namelist)
 {
-       struct str_node *ent, *n;
+       struct str_node *ent;
+       const char *p;
        int ret = -ENOENT;
 
-       if (strpbrk(buf, "*?")) { /* Glob-exp */
-               strlist__for_each_safe(ent, n, namelist)
-                       if (strglobmatch(ent->s, buf)) {
-                               ret = __del_trace_probe_event(fd, ent);
-                               if (ret < 0)
-                                       break;
-                               strlist__remove(namelist, ent);
-                       }
-       } else {
-               ent = strlist__find(namelist, buf);
-               if (ent) {
+       if (!namelist)
+               return -ENOENT;
+
+       strlist__for_each(ent, namelist) {
+               p = strchr(ent->s, ':');
+               if ((p && strfilter__compare(filter, p + 1)) ||
+                   strfilter__compare(filter, ent->s)) {
                        ret = __del_trace_probe_event(fd, ent);
-                       if (ret >= 0)
-                               strlist__remove(namelist, ent);
+                       if (ret < 0)
+                               break;
                }
        }
 
        return ret;
 }
 
-int del_perf_probe_events(struct strlist *dellist)
+int del_perf_probe_events(struct strfilter *filter)
 {
-       int ret = -1, ret2, ufd = -1, kfd = -1;
-       char buf[128];
-       const char *group, *event;
-       char *p, *str;
-       struct str_node *ent;
+       int ret, ret2, ufd = -1, kfd = -1;
        struct strlist *namelist = NULL, *unamelist = NULL;
+       char *str = strfilter__string(filter);
+
+       if (!str)
+               return -EINVAL;
+
+       pr_debug("Delete filter: \'%s\'\n", str);
 
        /* Get current event names */
        kfd = open_kprobe_events(true);
 
        if (kfd < 0 && ufd < 0) {
                print_both_open_warning(kfd, ufd);
+               ret = kfd;
                goto error;
        }
 
-       if (namelist == NULL && unamelist == NULL) {
-               ret = -ENOENT;
+       ret = del_trace_probe_events(kfd, filter, namelist);
+       if (ret < 0 && ret != -ENOENT)
                goto error;
-       }
-
-       strlist__for_each(ent, dellist) {
-               str = strdup(ent->s);
-               if (str == NULL) {
-                       ret = -ENOMEM;
-                       goto error;
-               }
-               pr_debug("Parsing: %s\n", str);
-               p = strchr(str, ':');
-               if (p) {
-                       group = str;
-                       *p = '\0';
-                       event = p + 1;
-               } else {
-                       group = "*";
-                       event = str;
-               }
 
-               if (event && *event == '.')
-                       event++;
-
-               ret = e_snprintf(buf, 128, "%s:%s", group, event);
-               if (ret < 0) {
-                       pr_err("Failed to copy event.");
-                       free(str);
-                       goto error;
-               }
-
-               pr_debug("Group: %s, Event: %s\n", group, event);
-               free(str);
-
-               ret = ret2 = -ENOENT;
-               if (namelist)
-                       ret = del_trace_probe_event(kfd, buf, namelist);
-
-               if ((ret >= 0 || ret == -ENOENT) && unamelist)
-                       ret2 = del_trace_probe_event(ufd, buf, unamelist);
-
-               /* Since we can remove probes which already removed, don't check it */
-               if (ret == -ENOENT && ret2 == -ENOENT)
-                       pr_debug("Event \"%s\" does not exist.\n", buf);
-               else if (ret < 0 || ret2 < 0) {
-                       if (ret >= 0)
-                               ret = ret2;
-                       break;
-               }
+       ret2 = del_trace_probe_events(ufd, filter, unamelist);
+       if (ret2 < 0 && ret2 != -ENOENT)
+               ret = ret2;
+       else if (ret == -ENOENT && ret2 == -ENOENT) {
+               pr_debug("\"%s\" does not hit any event.\n", str);
+               /* Note that this is silently ignored */
+               ret = 0;
        }
 
 error:
                strlist__delete(unamelist);
                close(ufd);
        }
+       free(str);
 
        return ret;
 }