diff --git a/dv/verilator/pcount/cpp/ibex_pcounts.cc b/dv/verilator/pcount/cpp/ibex_pcounts.cc
index e5629dfc..60e9d535 100644
--- a/dv/verilator/pcount/cpp/ibex_pcounts.cc
+++ b/dv/verilator/pcount/cpp/ibex_pcounts.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include <svdpi.h>
+
+extern "C" {
+extern long long mhpmcounter_get(int index);
+}
+
 #include "ibex_pcounts.h"
 
 // see mhpmcounter_incr signals in rtl/ibex_cs_registers.sv for details
@@ -26,7 +32,7 @@ const std::vector<std::string> ibex_counter_names = {
     "Multiply Wait",
     "Divide Wait"};
 
-std::string ibex_pcount_string(uint64_t pcounts[], bool csv) {
+std::string ibex_pcount_string(bool csv) {
   char seperator = csv ? ',' : ':';
   std::string::size_type longest_name_length;
 
@@ -52,7 +58,7 @@ std::string ibex_pcount_string(uint64_t pcounts[], bool csv) {
         pcount_ss << ' ';
     }
 
-    pcount_ss << pcounts[i] << std::endl;
+    pcount_ss << mhpmcounter_get(i) << std::endl;
   }
 
   return pcount_ss.str();
diff --git a/dv/verilator/pcount/cpp/ibex_pcounts.h b/dv/verilator/pcount/cpp/ibex_pcounts.h
index 0d90678e..67061963 100644
--- a/dv/verilator/pcount/cpp/ibex_pcounts.h
+++ b/dv/verilator/pcount/cpp/ibex_pcounts.h
@@ -34,11 +34,9 @@ extern const std::vector<std::string> ibex_counter_names;
  * longercountername1: 43980
  * ...
  *
- * @param pcounts Array of performance counter values, must be of length
- *                ibex_pcount_num
  * @param csv Choose csv or pretty-print formatting
  * @return String of formatted performance counter values, newline at end
  */
-std::string ibex_pcount_string(uint64_t pcounts[], bool csv);
+std::string ibex_pcount_string(bool csv);
 
 #endif  // IBEX_PCOUNTS_H_
diff --git a/examples/simple_system/ibex_simple_system.cc b/examples/simple_system/ibex_simple_system.cc
index 819b91f8..7dcc9ad6 100644
--- a/examples/simple_system/ibex_simple_system.cc
+++ b/examples/simple_system/ibex_simple_system.cc
@@ -28,17 +28,19 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     return 1;
   }
 
+  // Set the scope to the root scope, the ibex_pcount_string function otherwise
+  // doesn't know the scope itself. Could be moved to ibex_pcount_string, but
+  // would require a way to set the scope name from here, similar to MemUtil.
+  svSetScope(svGetScopeFromName("TOP.ibex_simple_system"));
   // TODO: Exec can return with "true" (e.g. with `-h`), but that does not mean
   // `RunSimulation()` was executed. The folllowing values will not be useful
   // in this case.
   std::cout << "\nPerformance Counters" << std::endl
             << "====================" << std::endl;
-  std::cout << ibex_pcount_string(top.ibex_simple_system__DOT__mhpmcounter_vals,
-                                  false);
+  std::cout << ibex_pcount_string(false);
 
   std::ofstream pcount_csv("ibex_simple_system_pcount.csv");
-  pcount_csv << ibex_pcount_string(
-      top.ibex_simple_system__DOT__mhpmcounter_vals, true);
+  pcount_csv << ibex_pcount_string(true);
 
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/examples/simple_system/rtl/ibex_simple_system.sv b/examples/simple_system/rtl/ibex_simple_system.sv
index f96670c2..a37bd993 100644
--- a/examples/simple_system/rtl/ibex_simple_system.sv
+++ b/examples/simple_system/rtl/ibex_simple_system.sv
@@ -249,12 +249,10 @@ module ibex_simple_system (
       .timer_intr_o   (timer_irq)
     );
 
-  // Expose the performance counter array so it's easy to access in
-  // a verilator siumulation
-  logic [63:0] mhpmcounter_vals [32] /*verilator public_flat*/;
+  export "DPI-C" function mhpmcounter_get;
+
+  function automatic longint mhpmcounter_get(int index);
+    return u_core.u_ibex_core.cs_registers_i.mhpmcounter[index];
+  endfunction
 
-  for(genvar i = 0;i < 32; i = i + 1) begin
-      assign mhpmcounter_vals[i] = u_core.u_ibex_core.cs_registers_i.mhpmcounter[i];
-  end
 endmodule
-