diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-inject.c b/tools/perf/builtin-inject.c
index 8e0e06d3edfc4..f4591a1438b47 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-inject.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-inject.c
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ static int perf_event__repipe_sample(struct perf_tool *tool,
 				     struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 				     struct machine *machine)
 {
-	if (evsel->handler) {
+	if (evsel && evsel->handler) {
 		inject_handler f = evsel->handler;
 		return f(tool, event, sample, evsel, machine);
 	}