diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
index 6309f4dbfb9c39f46965ec8826ac161c8d3b2ac3..923c572ee68d11a9705295f73308143556524776 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
@@ -2190,6 +2190,15 @@ static int contains_operator(char *str)
 	return field_op;
 }
 
+static void __destroy_hist_field(struct hist_field *hist_field)
+{
+	kfree(hist_field->var.name);
+	kfree(hist_field->name);
+	kfree(hist_field->type);
+
+	kfree(hist_field);
+}
+
 static void destroy_hist_field(struct hist_field *hist_field,
 			       unsigned int level)
 {
@@ -2201,14 +2210,13 @@ static void destroy_hist_field(struct hist_field *hist_field,
 	if (!hist_field)
 		return;
 
+	if (hist_field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF)
+		return; /* var refs will be destroyed separately */
+
 	for (i = 0; i < HIST_FIELD_OPERANDS_MAX; i++)
 		destroy_hist_field(hist_field->operands[i], level + 1);
 
-	kfree(hist_field->var.name);
-	kfree(hist_field->name);
-	kfree(hist_field->type);
-
-	kfree(hist_field);
+	__destroy_hist_field(hist_field);
 }
 
 static struct hist_field *create_hist_field(struct hist_trigger_data *hist_data,
@@ -2335,6 +2343,12 @@ static void destroy_hist_fields(struct hist_trigger_data *hist_data)
 			hist_data->fields[i] = NULL;
 		}
 	}
+
+	for (i = 0; i < hist_data->n_var_refs; i++) {
+		WARN_ON(!(hist_data->var_refs[i]->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF));
+		__destroy_hist_field(hist_data->var_refs[i]);
+		hist_data->var_refs[i] = NULL;
+	}
 }
 
 static int init_var_ref(struct hist_field *ref_field,