diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
index d85602aa4b9f3..8de6f39abd1b6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ static int perf_pmu__new_alias(struct perf_pmu *pmu, const char *name,
 		pmu_name = pe->pmu;
 	}
 
-	alias = malloc(sizeof(*alias));
+	alias = zalloc(sizeof(*alias));
 	if (!alias)
 		return -ENOMEM;