diff --git a/ebpftracer/tracer.go b/ebpftracer/tracer.go
index 9f78ac3..9b84de2 100644
--- a/ebpftracer/tracer.go
+++ b/ebpftracer/tracer.go
@@ -506,7 +506,13 @@ type perfMap struct {
 	name                  string
 	perCPUBufferSizePages int
 	typ                   perfMapType
-	readTimeout           time.Duration
+	// readTimeout bounds how long events below wakeupEvents wait to be
+	// read; 0 means 100 ms. A reader woken for every event needs none.
+	readTimeout time.Duration
+	// wakeupEvents is how many events a CPU's buffer collects before the
+	// kernel wakes the reader; 0 means 100. Below that, events wait for the
+	// reader's next readTimeout.
+	wakeupEvents int
 }
 
 // collectionSpecForKernel returns the compiled program variant for the running
@@ -610,9 +616,12 @@ func (t *Tracer) ebpf(ch chan<- Event) error {
 	}
 
 	perfMaps := []perfMap{
-		// Read as often as connect events: an exec is acted on (TLS probes
-		// attached) before the new program makes its first connection.
-		{name: "proc_events", typ: perfMapTypeProcEvents, perCPUBufferSizePages: 4, readTimeout: 10 * time.Millisecond},
+		// An exec must be acted on (TLS probes attached) before the new
+		// program makes its first connection, so the reader is woken for
+		// every event and needs no deadline. Polling instead, with a 10 ms
+		// deadline to bound that wait, cost ~5 millicores on an idle node:
+		// 100 wakeups a second for events that arrive a few times a second.
+		{name: "proc_events", typ: perfMapTypeProcEvents, perCPUBufferSizePages: 4, wakeupEvents: 1},
 		{name: "tcp_listen_events", typ: perfMapTypeTCPEvents, perCPUBufferSizePages: 4},
 		{name: "tcp_connect_events", typ: perfMapTypeTCPEvents, perCPUBufferSizePages: 8, readTimeout: 10 * time.Millisecond},
 		{name: "tcp_retransmit_events", typ: perfMapTypeTCPEvents, perCPUBufferSizePages: 4},
@@ -622,13 +631,21 @@ func (t *Tracer) ebpf(ch chan<- Event) error {
 	// Create perf buffer readers for non-L7 events
 	pageSize := os.Getpagesize()
 	for _, pm := range perfMaps {
-		r, err := perf.NewReaderWithOptions(t.collection.Maps[pm.name], pm.perCPUBufferSizePages*pageSize, perf.ReaderOptions{WakeupEvents: 100})
+		wakeup := pm.wakeupEvents
+		if wakeup == 0 {
+			wakeup = 100
+		}
+		r, err := perf.NewReaderWithOptions(t.collection.Maps[pm.name], pm.perCPUBufferSizePages*pageSize, perf.ReaderOptions{WakeupEvents: wakeup})
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Close()
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create ebpf reader: %w", err)
 		}
 		t.readers[pm.name] = r
-		go runEventsReader(pm.name, r, ch, pm.typ, pm.readTimeout)
+		readTimeout := pm.readTimeout
+		if readTimeout == 0 && wakeup > 1 {
+			readTimeout = 100 * time.Millisecond
+		}
+		go runEventsReader(pm.name, r, ch, pm.typ, readTimeout)
 	}
 
 	// Create ring buffer reader for l7_events (provides global ordering for SSE streaming)
@@ -850,13 +867,14 @@ func (t *lostSamplesTracker) recordLostSamples(name string, count uint64, cpu in
 	}
 }
 
+// runEventsReader reads r until it is closed. readTimeout 0 means no deadline:
+// the reader sleeps until the kernel wakes it (Close interrupts that too).
 func runEventsReader(name string, r *perf.Reader, ch chan<- Event, typ perfMapType, readTimeout time.Duration) {
 	tracker := getLostSamplesTracker(name)
-	if readTimeout == 0 {
-		readTimeout = 100 * time.Millisecond
-	}
 	for {
-		r.SetDeadline(time.Now().Add(readTimeout))
+		if readTimeout > 0 {
+			r.SetDeadline(time.Now().Add(readTimeout))
+		}
 		rec, err := r.Read()
 		if err != nil {
 			if errors.Is(err, perf.ErrClosed) {