diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 707c53f1be09..9cb5f040a74c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ __add_event(struct list_head *list, int *idx,
 	evsel->core.requires_cpu = pmu ? pmu->is_uncore : false;
 	evsel->auto_merge_stats = auto_merge_stats;
 	evsel->pmu = pmu;
+	evsel->pmu_name = pmu && pmu->name ? strdup(pmu->name) : NULL;
 
 	if (name)
 		evsel->name = strdup(name);
@@ -1500,12 +1501,7 @@ int parse_events_add_pmu(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,
 				    /*metric_id=*/NULL, pmu,
 				    /*config_terms=*/NULL, auto_merge_stats,
 				    /*cpu_list=*/NULL);
-		if (evsel) {
-			evsel->pmu_name = name ? strdup(name) : NULL;
-			return 0;
-		} else {
-			return -ENOMEM;
-		}
+		return evsel ? 0 : -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
 	if (!parse_state->fake_pmu && perf_pmu__check_alias(pmu, head_config, &info))
@@ -1561,7 +1557,6 @@ int parse_events_add_pmu(struct parse_events_state *parse_state,
 	if (evsel->name)
 		evsel->use_config_name = true;
 
-	evsel->pmu_name = name ? strdup(name) : NULL;
 	evsel->percore = config_term_percore(&evsel->config_terms);
 
 	if (parse_state->fake_pmu)