diff --git a/tools/perf/util/config.c b/tools/perf/util/config.c
index c73f1c4d1ca93c52170120f9fdafdc2983e5af48..e086f593a2aa06a95d137bf67c4205610da68e2a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/config.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/config.c
@@ -643,7 +643,6 @@ static int collect_config(const char *var, const char *value,
 
 out_free:
 	free(key);
-	perf_config_set__delete(set);
 	return -1;
 }
 
@@ -653,7 +652,10 @@ struct perf_config_set *perf_config_set__new(void)
 
 	if (set) {
 		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&set->sections);
-		perf_config(collect_config, set);
+		if (perf_config(collect_config, set) < 0) {
+			perf_config_set__delete(set);
+			set = NULL;
+		}
 	}
 
 	return set;