diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index e41b6ffafbd3..6052eb057821 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -1573,13 +1573,19 @@ static int trace__read_syscall_info(struct trace *trace, int id)
 		sc->tp_format = trace_event__tp_format("syscalls", tp_name);
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Fails to read trace point format via sysfs node, so the trace point
+	 * doesn't exist.  Set the 'nonexistent' flag as true.
+	 */
+	if (IS_ERR(sc->tp_format)) {
+		sc->nonexistent = true;
+		return PTR_ERR(sc->tp_format);
+	}
+
 	if (syscall__alloc_arg_fmts(sc, IS_ERR(sc->tp_format) ?
 					RAW_SYSCALL_ARGS_NUM : sc->tp_format->format.nr_fields))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	if (IS_ERR(sc->tp_format))
-		return PTR_ERR(sc->tp_format);
-
 	sc->args = sc->tp_format->format.fields;
 	/*
 	 * We need to check and discard the first variable '__syscall_nr'
@@ -1871,11 +1877,8 @@ static struct syscall *trace__syscall_info(struct trace *trace,
 	    (err = trace__read_syscall_info(trace, id)) != 0)
 		goto out_cant_read;
 
-	if (trace->syscalls.table[id].name == NULL) {
-		if (trace->syscalls.table[id].nonexistent)
-			return NULL;
+	if (trace->syscalls.table && trace->syscalls.table[id].nonexistent)
 		goto out_cant_read;
-	}
 
 	return &trace->syscalls.table[id];