diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 2a85205ba01a..82260c56db3d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -439,6 +439,11 @@ static int __cmd_record(int argc, const char **argv)
 	else
 		header = perf_header__new();
 
+	if (header == NULL) {
+		pr_err("Not enough memory for reading perf file header\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (raw_samples) {
 		perf_header__set_feat(header, HEADER_TRACE_INFO);
 	} else {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.c b/tools/perf/util/header.c
index dee1ed2f0d1b..726a0eb5f197 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.c
@@ -65,14 +65,15 @@ struct perf_header *perf_header__new(void)
 {
 	struct perf_header *self = calloc(sizeof(*self), 1);
 
-	if (!self)
-		die("nomem");
+	if (self != NULL) {
+		self->size = 1;
+		self->attr = malloc(sizeof(void *));
 
-	self->size = 1;
-	self->attr = malloc(sizeof(void *));
-
-	if (!self->attr)
-		die("nomem");
+		if (self->attr == NULL) {
+			free(self);
+			self = NULL;
+		}
+	}
 
 	return self;
 }
@@ -426,6 +427,9 @@ struct perf_header *perf_header__read(int fd)
 	u64			f_id;
 	int nr_attrs, nr_ids, i, j;
 
+	if (self == NULL)
+		die("nomem");
+
 	if (perf_file_header__read(&f_header, self, fd) < 0)
 		die("incompatible file format");