diff --git a/tools/perf/util/debug.c b/tools/perf/util/debug.c
index e55114f0336f..682146d04379 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/debug.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/debug.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ static int trace_event_printer(enum binary_printer_ops op,
 		break;
 	case BINARY_PRINT_CHAR_DATA:
 		printed += color_fprintf(fp, color, "%c",
-			      isprint(ch) ? ch : '.');
+			      isprint(ch) && isascii(ch) ? ch : '.');
 		break;
 	case BINARY_PRINT_CHAR_PAD:
 		printed += color_fprintf(fp, color, " ");