diff --git a/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.c b/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.c
index afe20ed9fac8..d7c37a7d9255 100644
--- a/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.c
+++ b/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.c
@@ -6228,15 +6228,20 @@ void pevent_ref(struct pevent *pevent)
 	pevent->ref_count++;
 }
 
+void pevent_free_format_field(struct format_field *field)
+{
+	free(field->type);
+	free(field->name);
+	free(field);
+}
+
 static void free_format_fields(struct format_field *field)
 {
 	struct format_field *next;
 
 	while (field) {
 		next = field->next;
-		free(field->type);
-		free(field->name);
-		free(field);
+		pevent_free_format_field(field);
 		field = next;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.h b/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.h
index 5b4efc062320..6abda54d76f2 100644
--- a/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.h
+++ b/tools/lib/traceevent/event-parse.h
@@ -619,6 +619,7 @@ enum pevent_errno pevent_parse_format(struct pevent *pevent,
 				      const char *buf,
 				      unsigned long size, const char *sys);
 void pevent_free_format(struct event_format *event);
+void pevent_free_format_field(struct format_field *field);
 
 void *pevent_get_field_raw(struct trace_seq *s, struct event_format *event,
 			   const char *name, struct pevent_record *record,