diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 97fde9275f42..a8507fee654b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -491,6 +491,9 @@ const char *perf_evsel__name(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 {
 	char bf[128];
 
+	if (!evsel)
+		goto out_unknown;
+
 	if (evsel->name)
 		return evsel->name;
 
@@ -527,7 +530,10 @@ const char *perf_evsel__name(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 
 	evsel->name = strdup(bf);
 
-	return evsel->name ?: "unknown";
+	if (evsel->name)
+		return evsel->name;
+out_unknown:
+	return "unknown";
 }
 
 const char *perf_evsel__group_name(struct perf_evsel *evsel)