diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c b/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c
index cfc1ebe8c0af..e205f58b2f3d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ he__get_c2c_hists(struct hist_entry *he,
 
 	ret = c2c_hists__init(hists, sort, nr_header_lines, env);
 	if (ret) {
+		c2c_he->hists = NULL;
 		free(hists);
 		return NULL;
 	}