diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 549abd43816f2656ff983c68f75cc2800f63c523..c8dc4450884cd9ddbbfcb8578ded56982ad7ab16 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -1265,6 +1265,8 @@ static void perf_evsel__free_config_terms(struct evsel *evsel)
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(term, h, &evsel->config_terms, list) {
 		list_del_init(&term->list);
+		if (term->free_str)
+			zfree(&term->val.str);
 		free(term);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel_config.h b/tools/perf/util/evsel_config.h
index b4a65201e4f7bb285097832780aac934c0f82b58..e026ab67b00859c5fc1d15d2db691d31cce3b572 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel_config.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel_config.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ enum evsel_term_type {
 struct perf_evsel_config_term {
 	struct list_head      list;
 	enum evsel_term_type  type;
+	bool		      free_str;
 	union {
 		u64	      period;
 		u64	      freq;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index f59f3c8da4737200133b45a03f6d36e2736d0f76..c01ba6f8fdad3a3662662267d0941a7bd3b6db04 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -1240,7 +1240,12 @@ do {								\
 #define ADD_CONFIG_TERM_STR(__type, __val)			\
 do {								\
 	ADD_CONFIG_TERM(__type);				\
-	__t->val.str = __val;					\
+	__t->val.str = strdup(__val);				\
+	if (!__t->val.str) {					\
+		zfree(&__t);					\
+		return -ENOMEM;					\
+	}							\
+	__t->free_str = true;					\
 } while (0)
 
 	struct parse_events_term *term;