diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index e9464b04f1492a06e8163bd9f2fb43491671a012..e37a6a3e62171e005b58b395bc1d7995bf88a44b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -1480,7 +1480,8 @@ int parse_events_add_pmu(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,
 
 		list_for_each_entry_safe(pos, tmp, &config_terms, list) {
 			list_del_init(&pos->list);
-			zfree(&pos->val.str);
+			if (pos->free_str)
+				zfree(&pos->val.str);
 			free(pos);
 		}
 		return -EINVAL;