diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.c b/tools/perf/util/header.c
index 369c03648f8846d3da12bf96a938f6e76485fbed..559c516f1cec29a7c9b66e1f19f70d35f014232f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.c
@@ -2078,8 +2078,10 @@ static int process_group_desc(struct perf_file_section *section __maybe_unused,
 		if (evsel->idx == (int) desc[i].leader_idx) {
 			evsel->leader = evsel;
 			/* {anon_group} is a dummy name */
-			if (strcmp(desc[i].name, "{anon_group}"))
+			if (strcmp(desc[i].name, "{anon_group}")) {
 				evsel->group_name = desc[i].name;
+				desc[i].name = NULL;
+			}
 			evsel->nr_members = desc[i].nr_members;
 
 			if (i >= nr_groups || nr > 0) {