diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c
index 93cda2f6f269..f658c3a77aa7 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c
@@ -1122,10 +1122,9 @@ static void user_event_destroy_validators(struct user_event *user)
 	}
 }
 
-static void user_event_destroy_fields(struct user_event *user)
+static void user_event_destroy_fields(struct list_head *head)
 {
 	struct ftrace_event_field *field, *next;
-	struct list_head *head = &user->fields;
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(field, next, head, link) {
 		list_del(&field->link);
@@ -1502,17 +1501,32 @@ static int user_event_set_call_visible(struct user_event *user, bool visible)
 
 static int destroy_user_event(struct user_event *user)
 {
+	LIST_HEAD(fields);
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&event_mutex);
 
-	/* Must destroy fields before call removal */
-	user_event_destroy_fields(user);
+	/*
+	 * Detach the fields before removing the call. Removing the event
+	 * frees the field list memory (trace_destroy_fields() is run on
+	 * successful removal and kmem_cache_free()s the fields), but the
+	 * fields here are allocated and owned by user_events. Destroy
+	 * them separately once removal has succeeded.
+	 */
+	list_splice_init(&user->fields, &fields);
 
 	ret = user_event_set_call_visible(user, false);
 
-	if (ret)
+	if (ret) {
+		/*
+		 * Removal failed and the event stays registered, recover
+		 * the fields so it is left in a consistent state.
+		 */
+		list_splice(&fields, &user->fields);
 		return ret;
+	}
+
+	user_event_destroy_fields(&fields);
 
 	dyn_event_remove(&user->devent);
 	hash_del(&user->node);
@@ -2212,7 +2226,7 @@ static int user_event_parse(struct user_event_group *group, char *name,
 put_user_lock:
 	mutex_unlock(&event_mutex);
 put_user:
-	user_event_destroy_fields(user);
+	user_event_destroy_fields(&user->fields);
 	user_event_destroy_validators(user);
 	kfree(user->call.print_fmt);