diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 22e18a26b7e6..55407c594b87 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -1081,7 +1081,6 @@ void perf_evsel__close(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus, int nthreads)
 
 	perf_evsel__close_fd(evsel, ncpus, nthreads);
 	perf_evsel__free_fd(evsel);
-	evsel->fd = NULL;
 }
 
 static struct {