diff --git a/tools/perf/util/python.c b/tools/perf/util/python.c
index 3a9f4e35d0bb..4ec5a91d45c0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/python.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/python.c
@@ -2091,10 +2091,10 @@ static PyObject *pyrf_evsel__open(struct pyrf_evsel *pevsel,
 					 &pcpus, &pthreads, &group, &inherit))
 		return NULL;
 
-	if (pthreads != NULL)
+	if (pthreads != NULL && pthreads != Py_None)
 		threads = ((struct pyrf_thread_map *)pthreads)->threads;
 
-	if (pcpus != NULL)
+	if (pcpus != NULL && pcpus != Py_None)
 		cpus = ((struct pyrf_cpu_map *)pcpus)->cpus;
 
 	evsel->core.attr.inherit = inherit;
@@ -3341,8 +3341,10 @@ static PyObject *pyrf__parse_events(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	threads = pthreads ? ((struct pyrf_thread_map *)pthreads)->threads : NULL;
-	cpus = pcpus ? ((struct pyrf_cpu_map *)pcpus)->cpus : NULL;
+	threads = (pthreads && pthreads != Py_None) ?
+			((struct pyrf_thread_map *)pthreads)->threads : NULL;
+	cpus = (pcpus && pcpus != Py_None) ?
+			((struct pyrf_cpu_map *)pcpus)->cpus : NULL;
 
 	parse_events_error__init(&err);
 	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist__core(evlist), cpus, threads);
@@ -3375,8 +3377,10 @@ static PyObject *pyrf__parse_metrics(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	threads = pthreads ? ((struct pyrf_thread_map *)pthreads)->threads : NULL;
-	cpus = pcpus ? ((struct pyrf_cpu_map *)pcpus)->cpus : NULL;
+	threads = (pthreads && pthreads != Py_None) ?
+			((struct pyrf_thread_map *)pthreads)->threads : NULL;
+	cpus = (pcpus && pcpus != Py_None) ?
+			((struct pyrf_cpu_map *)pcpus)->cpus : NULL;
 
 	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist__core(evlist), cpus, threads);
 	ret = metricgroup__parse_groups(evlist, pmu ?: "all", input,