diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c b/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c
index 74379ff1f7fa..46cd1db85bd0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ int test__pmu(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest __maybe_unused)
 		ret = 0;
 	} while (0);
 
+	perf_pmu__del_formats(&formats);
 	test_format_dir_put(format);
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
index 5608da82ad23..628a6d5a5b38 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
@@ -1294,6 +1294,17 @@ void perf_pmu__set_format(unsigned long *bits, long from, long to)
 		set_bit(b, bits);
 }
 
+void perf_pmu__del_formats(struct list_head *formats)
+{
+	struct perf_pmu_format *fmt, *tmp;
+
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(fmt, tmp, formats, list) {
+		list_del(&fmt->list);
+		free(fmt->name);
+		free(fmt);
+	}
+}
+
 static int sub_non_neg(int a, int b)
 {
 	if (b > a)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pmu.h b/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
index f36ade6df76d..9570d9b26250 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ int perf_pmu__new_format(struct list_head *list, char *name,
 			 int config, unsigned long *bits);
 void perf_pmu__set_format(unsigned long *bits, long from, long to);
 int perf_pmu__format_parse(char *dir, struct list_head *head);
+void perf_pmu__del_formats(struct list_head *formats);
 
 struct perf_pmu *perf_pmu__scan(struct perf_pmu *pmu);