diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 6fc8cd753e1a7d..b48e87693aa56b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -399,6 +399,9 @@ static void tracepoint_error(struct parse_events_error *e, int err,
 {
 	char help[BUFSIZ];
 
+	if (!e)
+		return;
+
 	/*
 	 * We get error directly from syscall errno ( > 0),
 	 * or from encoded pointer's error ( < 0).