diff --git a/kernel/trace/tracing_map.c b/kernel/trace/tracing_map.c
index bf1a507695b6..0dd7927df22a 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/tracing_map.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/tracing_map.c
@@ -386,13 +386,11 @@ static void tracing_map_elt_init_fields(struct tracing_map_elt *elt)
 	}
 }
 
-static void tracing_map_elt_free(struct tracing_map_elt *elt)
+static void __tracing_map_elt_free(struct tracing_map_elt *elt)
 {
 	if (!elt)
 		return;
 
-	if (elt->map->ops && elt->map->ops->elt_free)
-		elt->map->ops->elt_free(elt);
 	kfree(elt->fields);
 	kfree(elt->vars);
 	kfree(elt->var_set);
@@ -400,6 +398,17 @@ static void tracing_map_elt_free(struct tracing_map_elt *elt)
 	kfree(elt);
 }
 
+static void tracing_map_elt_free(struct tracing_map_elt *elt)
+{
+	if (!elt)
+		return;
+
+	/* Only objects initialized with alloc_elt() should be passed to free_elt().*/
+	if (elt->map->ops && elt->map->ops->elt_free)
+		elt->map->ops->elt_free(elt);
+	__tracing_map_elt_free(elt);
+}
+
 static struct tracing_map_elt *tracing_map_elt_alloc(struct tracing_map *map)
 {
 	struct tracing_map_elt *elt;
@@ -444,7 +453,7 @@ static struct tracing_map_elt *tracing_map_elt_alloc(struct tracing_map *map)
 	}
 	return elt;
  free:
-	tracing_map_elt_free(elt);
+	__tracing_map_elt_free(elt);
 
 	return ERR_PTR(err);
 }