diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/event_update.c b/tools/perf/tests/event_update.c
index bdcf032f8516..1c9a6138fba1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/event_update.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/event_update.c
@@ -119,6 +119,6 @@ int test__event_update(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest __maybe_unu
 	TEST_ASSERT_VAL("failed to synthesize attr update cpus",
 			!perf_event__synthesize_event_update_cpus(&tmp.tool, evsel, process_event_cpus));
 
-	perf_cpu_map__put(evsel->core.own_cpus);
+	evlist__delete(evlist);
 	return 0;
 }