diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index a844715a352d..dfc982baecab 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -1254,6 +1254,7 @@ void perf_evsel__exit(struct evsel *evsel)
 	perf_thread_map__put(evsel->core.threads);
 	zfree(&evsel->group_name);
 	zfree(&evsel->name);
+	zfree(&evsel->pmu_name);
 	perf_evsel__object.fini(evsel);
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 759a99f723fc..e232dfe07f8f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -1344,7 +1344,7 @@ int parse_events_add_pmu(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,
 		evsel = __add_event(list, &parse_state->idx, &attr, NULL, pmu, NULL,
 				    auto_merge_stats, NULL);
 		if (evsel) {
-			evsel->pmu_name = name;
+			evsel->pmu_name = name ? strdup(name) : NULL;
 			evsel->use_uncore_alias = use_uncore_alias;
 			return 0;
 		} else {
@@ -1385,7 +1385,7 @@ int parse_events_add_pmu(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,
 		evsel->snapshot = info.snapshot;
 		evsel->metric_expr = info.metric_expr;
 		evsel->metric_name = info.metric_name;
-		evsel->pmu_name = name;
+		evsel->pmu_name = name ? strdup(name) : NULL;
 		evsel->use_uncore_alias = use_uncore_alias;
 		evsel->percore = config_term_percore(&evsel->config_terms);
 	}