diff --git a/tools/perf/util/ordered-events.c b/tools/perf/util/ordered-events.c
index fe84df1875aa..e70e935b1841 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/ordered-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/ordered-events.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ static union perf_event *dup_event(struct ordered_events *oe,
 
 static void free_dup_event(struct ordered_events *oe, union perf_event *event)
 {
-	if (oe->copy_on_queue) {
+	if (event && oe->copy_on_queue) {
 		oe->cur_alloc_size -= event->header.size;
 		free(event);
 	}
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ void ordered_events__delete(struct ordered_events *oe, struct ordered_event *eve
 	list_move(&event->list, &oe->cache);
 	oe->nr_events--;
 	free_dup_event(oe, event->event);
+	event->event = NULL;
 }
 
 int ordered_events__queue(struct ordered_events *oe, union perf_event *event,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/session.c b/tools/perf/util/session.c
index 24259bc2c598..a25302bc55a8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/session.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/session.c
@@ -1656,6 +1656,7 @@ static int __perf_session__process_pipe_events(struct perf_session *session)
 	buf = malloc(cur_size);
 	if (!buf)
 		return -errno;
+	ordered_events__set_copy_on_queue(oe, true);
 more:
 	event = buf;
 	err = readn(fd, event, sizeof(struct perf_event_header));