diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index e68aee3..052de17 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -965,8 +965,6 @@
 out_free_event_array:
 	free(event_array);
 out_free_fd:
-	list_for_each_entry(pos, &evsel_list, node)
-		perf_evsel__free_fd(pos);
 	free(all_tids);
 	all_tids = NULL;
 out_symbol_exit:
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index 3e5f356..589ba3a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -844,10 +844,8 @@
 	if (status != -1)
 		print_stat(argc, argv);
 out_free_fd:
-	list_for_each_entry(pos, &evsel_list, node) {
-		perf_evsel__free_fd(pos);
+	list_for_each_entry(pos, &evsel_list, node)
 		perf_evsel__free_stat_priv(pos);
-	}
 out:
 	return status;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
index 13a836e..27b9c14 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
@@ -1495,10 +1495,8 @@
 
 	status = __cmd_top();
 out_free_fd:
-	list_for_each_entry(pos, &evsel_list, node) {
-		perf_evsel__free_fd(pos);
+	list_for_each_entry(pos, &evsel_list, node)
 		perf_evsel__free_mmap(pos);
-	}
 
 	return status;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/perf.c b/tools/perf/perf.c
index 595d0f4..5b1ecd6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/perf.c
+++ b/tools/perf/perf.c
@@ -286,6 +286,8 @@
 	status = p->fn(argc, argv, prefix);
 	exit_browser(status);
 
+	perf_evsel_list__delete();
+
 	if (status)
 		return status & 0xff;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 2d948ad..3a142e9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -982,3 +982,14 @@
 	++nr_counters;
 	return 0;
 }
+
+void perf_evsel_list__delete(void)
+{
+	struct perf_evsel *pos, *n;
+
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(pos, n, &evsel_list, node) {
+		list_del_init(&pos->node);
+		perf_evsel__delete(pos);
+	}
+	nr_counters = 0;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
index 0f915a0..0a0abc1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 extern struct list_head evsel_list;
 
 int perf_evsel_list__create_default(void);
+void perf_evsel_list__delete(void);
 
 struct option;