diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/backward-ring-buffer.c b/tools/perf/tests/backward-ring-buffer.c
index a4cd30c0beb3..15cea518f5ad 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/backward-ring-buffer.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/backward-ring-buffer.c
@@ -148,6 +148,15 @@ int test__backward_ring_buffer(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest __m
 		goto out_delete_evlist;
 	}
 
+	evlist__close(evlist);
+
+	err = evlist__open(evlist);
+	if (err < 0) {
+		pr_debug("perf_evlist__open: %s\n",
+			 str_error_r(errno, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf)));
+		goto out_delete_evlist;
+	}
+
 	err = do_test(evlist, 1, &sample_count, &comm_count);
 	if (err != TEST_OK)
 		goto out_delete_evlist;