diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 1e90c8557ede..1d826d63bc20 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -797,6 +797,9 @@ int perf_evsel__enable(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads)
 
 int perf_evsel__alloc_id(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads)
 {
+	if (ncpus == 0 || nthreads == 0)
+		return 0;
+
 	if (evsel->system_wide)
 		nthreads = 1;