diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
index f21a655dd7f9..489a5ef2a25d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
@@ -3068,7 +3068,8 @@ static int perf_sched__timehist(struct perf_sched *sched)
 
 	if (perf_time__parse_str(&sched->ptime, sched->time_str) != 0) {
 		pr_err("Invalid time string\n");
-		return -EINVAL;
+		err = -EINVAL;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (timehist_check_attr(sched, evlist) != 0)