diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
index 27d6b187c9b1..26cb65798522 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.y
@@ -25,12 +25,17 @@ do { \
 		YYABORT; \
 } while (0)
 
-#define ALLOC_LIST(list) \
-do { \
-	list = malloc(sizeof(*list)); \
-	ABORT_ON(!list);              \
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(list);         \
-} while (0)
+static struct list_head* alloc_list()
+{
+	struct list_head *list;
+
+	list = malloc(sizeof(*list));
+	if (!list)
+		return NULL;
+
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(list);
+	return list;
+}
 
 static void inc_group_count(struct list_head *list,
 		       struct parse_events_state *parse_state)
@@ -238,7 +243,8 @@ PE_NAME opt_pmu_config
 	if (error)
 		error->idx = @1.first_column;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	if (parse_events_add_pmu(_parse_state, list, $1, $2, false, false)) {
 		struct perf_pmu *pmu = NULL;
 		int ok = 0;
@@ -306,7 +312,8 @@ value_sym '/' event_config '/'
 	int type = $1 >> 16;
 	int config = $1 & 255;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_numeric(_parse_state, list, type, config, $3));
 	parse_events_terms__delete($3);
 	$$ = list;
@@ -318,7 +325,8 @@ value_sym sep_slash_slash_dc
 	int type = $1 >> 16;
 	int config = $1 & 255;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_numeric(_parse_state, list, type, config, NULL));
 	$$ = list;
 }
@@ -327,7 +335,8 @@ PE_VALUE_SYM_TOOL sep_slash_slash_dc
 {
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_tool(_parse_state, list, $1));
 	$$ = list;
 }
@@ -339,7 +348,8 @@ PE_NAME_CACHE_TYPE '-' PE_NAME_CACHE_OP_RESULT '-' PE_NAME_CACHE_OP_RESULT opt_e
 	struct parse_events_error *error = parse_state->error;
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_cache(list, &parse_state->idx, $1, $3, $5, error, $6));
 	parse_events_terms__delete($6);
 	$$ = list;
@@ -351,7 +361,8 @@ PE_NAME_CACHE_TYPE '-' PE_NAME_CACHE_OP_RESULT opt_event_config
 	struct parse_events_error *error = parse_state->error;
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_cache(list, &parse_state->idx, $1, $3, NULL, error, $4));
 	parse_events_terms__delete($4);
 	$$ = list;
@@ -363,7 +374,8 @@ PE_NAME_CACHE_TYPE opt_event_config
 	struct parse_events_error *error = parse_state->error;
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_cache(list, &parse_state->idx, $1, NULL, NULL, error, $2));
 	parse_events_terms__delete($2);
 	$$ = list;
@@ -375,7 +387,8 @@ PE_PREFIX_MEM PE_VALUE '/' PE_VALUE ':' PE_MODIFIER_BP sep_dc
 	struct parse_events_state *parse_state = _parse_state;
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_breakpoint(list, &parse_state->idx,
 					     (void *) $2, $6, $4));
 	$$ = list;
@@ -386,7 +399,8 @@ PE_PREFIX_MEM PE_VALUE '/' PE_VALUE sep_dc
 	struct parse_events_state *parse_state = _parse_state;
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_breakpoint(list, &parse_state->idx,
 					     (void *) $2, NULL, $4));
 	$$ = list;
@@ -397,7 +411,8 @@ PE_PREFIX_MEM PE_VALUE ':' PE_MODIFIER_BP sep_dc
 	struct parse_events_state *parse_state = _parse_state;
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_breakpoint(list, &parse_state->idx,
 					     (void *) $2, $4, 0));
 	$$ = list;
@@ -408,7 +423,8 @@ PE_PREFIX_MEM PE_VALUE sep_dc
 	struct parse_events_state *parse_state = _parse_state;
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_breakpoint(list, &parse_state->idx,
 					     (void *) $2, NULL, 0));
 	$$ = list;
@@ -421,7 +437,8 @@ tracepoint_name opt_event_config
 	struct parse_events_error *error = parse_state->error;
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	if (error)
 		error->idx = @1.first_column;
 
@@ -457,7 +474,8 @@ PE_VALUE ':' PE_VALUE opt_event_config
 {
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_numeric(_parse_state, list, (u32)$1, $3, $4));
 	parse_events_terms__delete($4);
 	$$ = list;
@@ -468,7 +486,8 @@ PE_RAW opt_event_config
 {
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_add_numeric(_parse_state, list, PERF_TYPE_RAW, $1, $2));
 	parse_events_terms__delete($2);
 	$$ = list;
@@ -480,7 +499,8 @@ PE_BPF_OBJECT opt_event_config
 	struct parse_events_state *parse_state = _parse_state;
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_load_bpf(parse_state, list, $1, false, $2));
 	parse_events_terms__delete($2);
 	$$ = list;
@@ -490,7 +510,8 @@ PE_BPF_SOURCE opt_event_config
 {
 	struct list_head *list;
 
-	ALLOC_LIST(list);
+	list = alloc_list();
+	ABORT_ON(!list);
 	ABORT_ON(parse_events_load_bpf(_parse_state, list, $1, true, $2));
 	parse_events_terms__delete($2);
 	$$ = list;
