diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
index ae208c16c8a3bd4e63b67a10f7b1c1f10c78f78c..949ce8c89fe9d52ad89503d52c87dcf2e9968edf 100644
--- a/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
+++ b/tools/perf/ui/browsers/hists.c
@@ -633,7 +633,11 @@ int hist_browser__run(struct hist_browser *browser, const char *help,
 		switch (key) {
 		case K_TIMER: {
 			u64 nr_entries;
-			hbt->timer(hbt->arg);
+
+			WARN_ON_ONCE(!hbt);
+
+			if (hbt)
+				hbt->timer(hbt->arg);
 
 			if (hist_browser__has_filter(browser) ||
 			    symbol_conf.report_hierarchy)
@@ -2711,7 +2715,7 @@ static int perf_evsel__hists_browse(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int nr_events,
 {
 	struct hists *hists = evsel__hists(evsel);
 	struct hist_browser *browser = perf_evsel_browser__new(evsel, hbt, env, annotation_opts);
-	struct branch_info *bi;
+	struct branch_info *bi = NULL;
 #define MAX_OPTIONS  16
 	char *options[MAX_OPTIONS];
 	struct popup_action actions[MAX_OPTIONS];
@@ -2977,7 +2981,9 @@ static int perf_evsel__hists_browse(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int nr_events,
 			goto skip_annotation;
 
 		if (sort__mode == SORT_MODE__BRANCH) {
-			bi = browser->he_selection->branch_info;
+
+			if (browser->he_selection)
+				bi = browser->he_selection->branch_info;
 
 			if (bi == NULL)
 				goto skip_annotation;
@@ -3148,7 +3154,8 @@ static int perf_evsel_menu__run(struct perf_evsel_menu *menu,
 
 		switch (key) {
 		case K_TIMER:
-			hbt->timer(hbt->arg);
+			if (hbt)
+				hbt->timer(hbt->arg);
 
 			if (!menu->lost_events_warned &&
 			    menu->lost_events &&