diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index d1ecde0fd56c456a8b3abcb56ff08a97690e090e..786ea557af26285d806ca6728782a39d43bc2071 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -850,17 +850,17 @@ void perf_evsel__exit(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 	assert(list_empty(&evsel->node));
 	perf_evsel__free_fd(evsel);
 	perf_evsel__free_id(evsel);
+	close_cgroup(evsel->cgrp);
+	zfree(&evsel->group_name);
+	if (evsel->tp_format)
+		pevent_free_format(evsel->tp_format);
+	zfree(&evsel->name);
 	perf_evsel__object.fini(evsel);
 }
 
 void perf_evsel__delete(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 {
 	perf_evsel__exit(evsel);
-	close_cgroup(evsel->cgrp);
-	zfree(&evsel->group_name);
-	if (evsel->tp_format)
-		pevent_free_format(evsel->tp_format);
-	zfree(&evsel->name);
 	free(evsel);
 }