diff --git a/tools/perf/util/bpf_counter_cgroup.c b/tools/perf/util/bpf_counter_cgroup.c
index 1c82377ed78b..ea29c372f339 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/bpf_counter_cgroup.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/bpf_counter_cgroup.c
@@ -136,9 +136,8 @@ static int bperf_load_program(struct evlist *evlist)
 		cgrp = evsel->cgrp;
 
 		if (read_cgroup_id(cgrp) < 0) {
-			pr_err("Failed to get cgroup id\n");
-			err = -1;
-			goto out;
+			pr_debug("Failed to get cgroup id for %s\n", cgrp->name);
+			cgrp->id = 0;
 		}
 
 		map_fd = bpf_map__fd(skel->maps.cgrp_idx);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/cgroup.c b/tools/perf/util/cgroup.c
index fcb509058499..0f759dd96db7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/cgroup.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/cgroup.c
@@ -465,9 +465,11 @@ int evlist__expand_cgroup(struct evlist *evlist, const char *str,
 		name = cn->name + prefix_len;
 		if (name[0] == '/' && name[1])
 			name++;
+
+		/* the cgroup can go away in the meantime */
 		cgrp = cgroup__new(name, open_cgroup);
 		if (cgrp == NULL)
-			goto out_err;
+			continue;
 
 		leader = NULL;
 		evlist__for_each_entry(orig_list, pos) {