diff --git a/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.c b/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.c
index 0b851f32e98c..aa749e1c3036 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/auxtrace.c
@@ -251,8 +251,12 @@ static int auxtrace_queues__grow(struct auxtrace_queues *queues,
 {
 	unsigned int nr_queues = queues->nr_queues;
 	struct auxtrace_queue *queue_array;
+	struct auxtrace_queue *old_array = queues->queue_array;
 	unsigned int i;
 
+	if (!new_nr_queues)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	if (!nr_queues)
 		nr_queues = AUXTRACE_INIT_NR_QUEUES;
 
@@ -267,16 +271,17 @@ static int auxtrace_queues__grow(struct auxtrace_queues *queues,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < queues->nr_queues; i++) {
-		list_splice_tail(&queues->queue_array[i].head,
+		list_splice_tail(&old_array[i].head,
 				 &queue_array[i].head);
-		queue_array[i].tid = queues->queue_array[i].tid;
-		queue_array[i].cpu = queues->queue_array[i].cpu;
-		queue_array[i].set = queues->queue_array[i].set;
-		queue_array[i].priv = queues->queue_array[i].priv;
+		queue_array[i].tid = old_array[i].tid;
+		queue_array[i].cpu = old_array[i].cpu;
+		queue_array[i].set = old_array[i].set;
+		queue_array[i].priv = old_array[i].priv;
 	}
 
 	queues->nr_queues = nr_queues;
 	queues->queue_array = queue_array;
+	free(old_array);
 
 	return 0;
 }