diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index 295b272c6c29..7ff85fa90d98 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -1565,7 +1565,9 @@ static bool syscall_id_equal(long key1, long key2, void *ctx __maybe_unused)
 
 static struct hashmap *alloc_syscall_stats(void)
 {
-	return hashmap__new(syscall_id_hash, syscall_id_equal, NULL);
+	struct hashmap *result = hashmap__new(syscall_id_hash, syscall_id_equal, NULL);
+
+	return IS_ERR(result) ? NULL : result;
 }
 
 static void delete_syscall_stats(struct hashmap *syscall_stats)
@@ -1573,7 +1575,7 @@ static void delete_syscall_stats(struct hashmap *syscall_stats)
 	struct hashmap_entry *pos;
 	size_t bkt;
 
-	if (IS_ERR(syscall_stats))
+	if (!syscall_stats)
 		return;
 
 	hashmap__for_each_entry(syscall_stats, pos, bkt)
@@ -1589,7 +1591,7 @@ static struct thread_trace *thread_trace__new(struct trace *trace)
 		ttrace->files.max = -1;
 		if (trace->summary) {
 			ttrace->syscall_stats = alloc_syscall_stats();
-			if (IS_ERR(ttrace->syscall_stats))
+			if (!ttrace->syscall_stats)
 				zfree(&ttrace);
 		}
 	}
@@ -4464,7 +4466,7 @@ static int trace__run(struct trace *trace, int argc, const char **argv)
 
 	if (trace->summary_mode == SUMMARY__BY_TOTAL && !trace->summary_bpf) {
 		trace->syscall_stats = alloc_syscall_stats();
-		if (IS_ERR(trace->syscall_stats))
+		if (!trace->syscall_stats)
 			goto out_delete_evlist;
 	}
 
@@ -4771,7 +4773,7 @@ static int trace__replay(struct trace *trace)
 
 	if (trace->summary_mode == SUMMARY__BY_TOTAL) {
 		trace->syscall_stats = alloc_syscall_stats();
-		if (IS_ERR(trace->syscall_stats))
+		if (!trace->syscall_stats)
 			goto out;
 	}