diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 40ae92a8673c3fff64059f19422f9338ec9dc732..6fc8cd753e1a7dc791e1e165c0808d8fd509e3de 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -1883,7 +1883,7 @@ void print_symbol_events(const char *event_glob, unsigned type,
 
 	for (i = 0; i < max; i++, syms++) {
 
-		if (event_glob != NULL &&
+		if (event_glob != NULL && syms->symbol != NULL &&
 		    !(strglobmatch(syms->symbol, event_glob) ||
 		      (syms->alias && strglobmatch(syms->alias, event_glob))))
 			continue;