diff --git a/tools/perf/util/namespaces.c b/tools/perf/util/namespaces.c
index a58e91197729..1ef0049860a8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/namespaces.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/namespaces.c
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ struct nsinfo *nsinfo__copy(struct nsinfo *nsi)
 {
 	struct nsinfo *nnsi;
 
+	if (nsi == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
 	nnsi = calloc(1, sizeof(*nnsi));
 	if (nnsi != NULL) {
 		nnsi->pid = nsi->pid;