diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index fab01ba54e34..9c0ce01684c3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -227,12 +227,12 @@ __add_event(struct list_head *list, int *idx,
 	    bool init_attr,
 	    const char *name, const char *metric_id, struct perf_pmu *pmu,
 	    struct list_head *config_terms, bool auto_merge_stats,
-	    const char *cpu_list)
+	    struct perf_cpu_map *cpu_list)
 {
 	struct evsel *evsel;
-	struct perf_cpu_map *cpus = pmu ? perf_cpu_map__get(pmu->cpus) :
-			       cpu_list ? perf_cpu_map__new(cpu_list) : NULL;
+	struct perf_cpu_map *cpus = perf_cpu_map__is_empty(cpu_list) && pmu ? pmu->cpus : cpu_list;
 
+	cpus = perf_cpu_map__get(cpus);
 	if (pmu)
 		perf_pmu__warn_invalid_formats(pmu);
 
@@ -305,16 +305,17 @@ static int add_event_tool(struct list_head *list, int *idx,
 		.type = PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE,
 		.config = PERF_COUNT_SW_DUMMY,
 	};
-	const char *cpu_list = NULL;
+	struct perf_cpu_map *cpu_list = NULL;
 
 	if (tool_event == PERF_TOOL_DURATION_TIME) {
 		/* Duration time is gathered globally, pretend it is only on CPU0. */
-		cpu_list = "0";
+		cpu_list = perf_cpu_map__new("0");
 	}
 	evsel = __add_event(list, idx, &attr, /*init_attr=*/true, /*name=*/NULL,
 			    /*metric_id=*/NULL, /*pmu=*/NULL,
 			    /*config_terms=*/NULL, /*auto_merge_stats=*/false,
 			    cpu_list);
+	perf_cpu_map__put(cpu_list);
 	if (!evsel)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	evsel->tool_event = tool_event;