diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 4e10a4ec11c7d9d33c10a5f182c5d2b37c73693c..5ecf8f836f30888d2c2fab4b251b40076dc578ed 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -2969,7 +2969,7 @@ int evsel__open_strerror(struct evsel *evsel, struct target *target,
 
 struct perf_env *evsel__env(struct evsel *evsel)
 {
-	if (evsel && evsel->evlist)
+	if (evsel && evsel->evlist && evsel->evlist->env)
 		return evsel->evlist->env;
 	return &perf_env;
 }