diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 1a7c76d2baa8067960538afb909787dc4c73625a..7ea1a230e89d043ee9d26375f001be614f1c955f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -1843,15 +1843,20 @@ int parse_events(struct perf_evlist *evlist, const char *str,
 
 	ret = parse_events__scanner(str, &parse_state, PE_START_EVENTS);
 	perf_pmu__parse_cleanup();
+
+	if (!ret && list_empty(&parse_state.list)) {
+		WARN_ONCE(true, "WARNING: event parser found nothing\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Add list to the evlist even with errors to allow callers to clean up.
+	 */
+	perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(evlist, &parse_state.list);
+
 	if (!ret) {
 		struct perf_evsel *last;
 
-		if (list_empty(&parse_state.list)) {
-			WARN_ONCE(true, "WARNING: event parser found nothing\n");
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(evlist, &parse_state.list);
 		evlist->nr_groups += parse_state.nr_groups;
 		last = perf_evlist__last(evlist);
 		last->cmdline_group_boundary = true;