diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 04f335ef9a8..4c03bb7a4eb 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -220,7 +220,8 @@ static struct perf_header_attr *get_header_attr(struct perf_event_attr *a, int n
 		h_attr = header->attr[nr];
 	} else {
 		h_attr = perf_header_attr__new(a);
-		perf_header__add_attr(header, h_attr);
+		if (h_attr != NULL)
+			perf_header__add_attr(header, h_attr);
 	}
 
 	return h_attr;
@@ -308,6 +309,8 @@ try_again:
 	}
 
 	h_attr = get_header_attr(attr, counter);
+	if (h_attr == NULL)
+		die("nomem\n");
 
 	if (!file_new) {
 		if (memcmp(&h_attr->attr, attr, sizeof(*attr))) {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.c b/tools/perf/util/header.c
index d8416f01117..2f07a238ffd 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.c
@@ -19,16 +19,16 @@ struct perf_header_attr *perf_header_attr__new(struct perf_event_attr *attr)
 {
 	struct perf_header_attr *self = malloc(sizeof(*self));
 
-	if (!self)
-		die("nomem");
-
-	self->attr = *attr;
-	self->ids = 0;
-	self->size = 1;
-	self->id = malloc(sizeof(u64));
-
-	if (!self->id)
-		die("nomem");
+	if (self != NULL) {
+		self->attr = *attr;
+		self->ids  = 0;
+		self->size = 1;
+		self->id   = malloc(sizeof(u64));
+		if (self->id == NULL) {
+			free(self);
+			self = NULL;
+		}
+	}
 
 	return self;
 }
@@ -423,6 +423,8 @@ struct perf_header *perf_header__read(int fd)
 		tmp = lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_CUR);
 
 		attr = perf_header_attr__new(&f_attr.attr);
+		if (attr == NULL)
+			 die("nomem");
 
 		nr_ids = f_attr.ids.size / sizeof(u64);
 		lseek(fd, f_attr.ids.offset, SEEK_SET);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.h b/tools/perf/util/header.h
index f1b3bf7bdfc..0cbd4c9e982 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.h
@@ -64,9 +64,7 @@ void perf_header__add_attr(struct perf_header *self,
 void perf_header__push_event(u64 id, const char *name);
 char *perf_header__find_event(u64 id);
 
-
-struct perf_header_attr *
-perf_header_attr__new(struct perf_event_attr *attr);
+struct perf_header_attr *perf_header_attr__new(struct perf_event_attr *attr);
 void perf_header_attr__add_id(struct perf_header_attr *self, u64 id);
 
 u64 perf_header__sample_type(struct perf_header *header);