diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 7069bd3e90b308871d4f309b99335cba09b9fbbc..aa7ece3976561e63ef5c03622b6c73466996191b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ static void atexit_header(void)
 			process_buildids();
 		perf_header__write(&session->header, output, true);
 		perf_session__delete(session);
+		perf_evsel_list__delete();
 		symbol__exit();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index c385a63ebfd177461c83d910cbe9f62e89600432..0ff11d9b13be9cb5bfc9f86259dbd972be148d2e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -743,6 +743,7 @@ int cmd_stat(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __used)
 out_free_fd:
 	list_for_each_entry(pos, &evsel_list, node)
 		perf_evsel__free_stat_priv(pos);
+	perf_evsel_list__delete();
 out:
 	thread_map__delete(threads);
 	threads = NULL;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
index 6ce4042421bd92b1574f50409cf60f506675ddfd..4b995ee099cf7a4efc5a388e7dcd1d7f203b9eab 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
@@ -1490,6 +1490,7 @@ int cmd_top(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix __used)
 out_free_fd:
 	list_for_each_entry(pos, &evsel_list, node)
 		perf_evsel__free_mmap(pos);
+	perf_evsel_list__delete();
 
 	return status;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/perf.c b/tools/perf/perf.c
index 5b1ecd66bb36a053b6427020f9aa3361d4ec1265..595d0f4a7103eb45ccac7b5ad47fd3ebfee8ab0d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/perf.c
+++ b/tools/perf/perf.c
@@ -286,8 +286,6 @@ static int run_builtin(struct cmd_struct *p, int argc, const char **argv)
 	status = p->fn(argc, argv, prefix);
 	exit_browser(status);
 
-	perf_evsel_list__delete();
-
 	if (status)
 		return status & 0xff;