diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 78032d887c1ae5e0b5debe0ead2a210fffcb5c7f..2a4d1ec028464757d6723bbd08c2d0ce0a010a14 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -1659,6 +1659,8 @@ void parse_events_evlist_error(struct parse_events_evlist *data,
 {
 	struct parse_events_error *err = data->error;
 
+	if (!err)
+		return;
 	err->idx = idx;
 	err->str = strdup(str);
 	WARN_ONCE(!err->str, "WARNING: failed to allocate error string");
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
index 3d11e00243e38a74229562d8eccef3bbe9340ec2..591905a02b926b6029447a372f2e5f7b7d34864a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
@@ -389,8 +389,10 @@ PE_NAME ':' PE_NAME
 	if (parse_events_add_tracepoint(list, &data->idx, $1, $3)) {
 		struct parse_events_error *error = data->error;
 
-		error->idx = @1.first_column;
-		error->str = strdup("unknown tracepoint");
+		if (error) {
+			error->idx = @1.first_column;
+			error->str = strdup("unknown tracepoint");
+		}
 		return -1;
 	}
 	$$ = list;