diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
index 6cf73bb0c7af..c8474f7ac658 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
@@ -1164,7 +1164,9 @@ static int deliver_event(struct ordered_events *qe,
 		goto next_event;
 	}
 
-	evsel = evlist__id2evsel(session->evlist, sample.id);
+	evsel = sample.evsel;
+	if (!evsel)
+		evsel = evlist__id2evsel(session->evlist, sample.id);
 	assert(evsel != NULL);
 
 	if (event->header.type == PERF_RECORD_SAMPLE) {
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/mmap-basic.c b/tools/perf/tests/mmap-basic.c
index 3313c236104e..a18d84d858aa 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/mmap-basic.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/mmap-basic.c
@@ -142,7 +142,9 @@ static int test__basic_mmap(struct test_suite *test __maybe_unused, int subtest
 		}
 
 		err = -1;
-		evsel = evlist__id2evsel(evlist, sample.id);
+		evsel = sample.evsel;
+		if (!evsel)
+			evsel = evlist__id2evsel(evlist, sample.id);
 		perf_sample__exit(&sample);
 		if (evsel == NULL) {
 			pr_debug("event with id %" PRIu64
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/switch-tracking.c b/tools/perf/tests/switch-tracking.c
index 22b0302252db..e32331fee277 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/switch-tracking.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/switch-tracking.c
@@ -138,7 +138,10 @@ static int process_sample_event(struct evlist *evlist,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	evsel = evlist__id2evsel(evlist, sample.id);
+	evsel = sample.evsel;
+	if (!evsel)
+		evsel = evlist__id2evsel(evlist, sample.id);
+
 	if (evsel == switch_tracking->switch_evsel) {
 		next_tid = perf_sample__intval(&sample, "next_pid");
 		prev_tid = perf_sample__intval(&sample, "prev_pid");