diff --git a/tools/perf/util/comm.c b/tools/perf/util/comm.c
index 67d1e404c0cb..f9e777629e21 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/comm.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/comm.c
@@ -94,19 +94,20 @@ struct comm *comm__new(const char *str, u64 timestamp)
 	return comm;
 }
 
-void comm__override(struct comm *comm, const char *str, u64 timestamp)
+int comm__override(struct comm *comm, const char *str, u64 timestamp)
 {
-	struct comm_str *old = comm->comm_str;
+	struct comm_str *new, *old = comm->comm_str;
 
-	comm->comm_str = comm_str__findnew(str, &comm_str_root);
-	if (!comm->comm_str) {
-		comm->comm_str = old;
-		return;
-	}
+	new = comm_str__findnew(str, &comm_str_root);
+	if (!new)
+		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	comm->start = timestamp;
-	comm_str__get(comm->comm_str);
+	comm_str__get(new);
 	comm_str__put(old);
+	comm->comm_str = new;
+	comm->start = timestamp;
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 void comm__free(struct comm *comm)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/comm.h b/tools/perf/util/comm.h
index 7a86e5656710..fac5bd51befc 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/comm.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/comm.h
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@ struct comm {
 void comm__free(struct comm *comm);
 struct comm *comm__new(const char *str, u64 timestamp);
 const char *comm__str(const struct comm *comm);
-void comm__override(struct comm *comm, const char *str, u64 timestamp);
+int comm__override(struct comm *comm, const char *str, u64 timestamp);
 
 #endif  /* __PERF_COMM_H */
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/thread.c b/tools/perf/util/thread.c
index e3948612543e..0358882c8910 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/thread.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/thread.c
@@ -66,10 +66,13 @@ struct comm *thread__comm(const struct thread *thread)
 int thread__set_comm(struct thread *thread, const char *str, u64 timestamp)
 {
 	struct comm *new, *curr = thread__comm(thread);
+	int err;
 
 	/* Override latest entry if it had no specific time coverage */
 	if (!curr->start) {
-		comm__override(curr, str, timestamp);
+		err = comm__override(curr, str, timestamp);
+		if (err)
+			return err;
 	} else {
 		new = comm__new(str, timestamp);
 		if (!new)