diff --git a/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.c b/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.c
index 31d4e7da191c44175eef2cc3311b95fa19591f89..e71c472d6a810ba8ff888a4e4110dbae4b53972e 100644
--- a/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.c
+++ b/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.c
@@ -321,9 +321,14 @@ int pevent_register_comm(struct pevent *pevent, const char *comm, int pid)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void pevent_register_trace_clock(struct pevent *pevent, char *trace_clock)
+int pevent_register_trace_clock(struct pevent *pevent, const char *trace_clock)
 {
-	pevent->trace_clock = trace_clock;
+	pevent->trace_clock = strdup(trace_clock);
+	if (!pevent->trace_clock) {
+		errno = ENOMEM;
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 struct func_map {
@@ -6352,6 +6357,7 @@ void pevent_free(struct pevent *pevent)
 		free_handler(handle);
 	}
 
+	free(pevent->trace_clock);
 	free(pevent->events);
 	free(pevent->sort_events);
 
diff --git a/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.h b/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.h
index 6abda54d76f2e6665a577540c7654f70cec828ca..84e554f8457456f5f34cde7cf6575e6edd50cb5d 100644
--- a/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.h
+++ b/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.h
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ enum trace_flag_type {
 };
 
 int pevent_register_comm(struct pevent *pevent, const char *comm, int pid);
-void pevent_register_trace_clock(struct pevent *pevent, char *trace_clock);
+int pevent_register_trace_clock(struct pevent *pevent, const char *trace_clock);
 int pevent_register_function(struct pevent *pevent, char *name,
 			     unsigned long long addr, char *mod);
 int pevent_register_print_string(struct pevent *pevent, const char *fmt,