diff --git a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
index 1eacee6eca4b..eab25d638f21 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
@@ -540,10 +540,12 @@ static void del_trace_kprobe_event(int fd, const char *group,
 				   const char *event, struct strlist *namelist)
 {
 	char buf[128];
+	struct str_node *ent;
 
 	if (e_snprintf(buf, 128, "%s:%s", group, event) < 0)
 		die("Failed to copy event.");
-	if (!strlist__has_entry(namelist, buf)) {
+	ent = strlist__find(namelist, buf);
+	if (!ent) {
 		pr_info("Info: event \"%s\" does not exist, could not remove it.\n", buf);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -553,6 +555,7 @@ static void del_trace_kprobe_event(int fd, const char *group,
 
 	write_trace_kprobe_event(fd, buf);
 	printf("Remove event: %s:%s\n", group, event);
+	strlist__remove(namelist, ent);
 }
 
 void del_trace_kprobe_events(struct strlist *dellist)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/strlist.c b/tools/perf/util/strlist.c
index 7ad38171dc2b..6783a2043555 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/strlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/strlist.c
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ void strlist__remove(struct strlist *self, struct str_node *sn)
 	str_node__delete(sn, self->dupstr);
 }
 
-bool strlist__has_entry(struct strlist *self, const char *entry)
+struct str_node *strlist__find(struct strlist *self, const char *entry)
 {
 	struct rb_node **p = &self->entries.rb_node;
 	struct rb_node *parent = NULL;
@@ -120,10 +120,10 @@ bool strlist__has_entry(struct strlist *self, const char *entry)
 		else if (rc < 0)
 			p = &(*p)->rb_right;
 		else
-			return true;
+			return sn;
 	}
 
-	return false;
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 static int strlist__parse_list_entry(struct strlist *self, const char *s)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/strlist.h b/tools/perf/util/strlist.h
index cb4659306d7b..59091c77eef2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/strlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/strlist.h
@@ -23,7 +23,12 @@ int strlist__load(struct strlist *self, const char *filename);
 int strlist__add(struct strlist *self, const char *str);
 
 struct str_node *strlist__entry(const struct strlist *self, unsigned int idx);
-bool strlist__has_entry(struct strlist *self, const char *entry);
+struct str_node *strlist__find(struct strlist *self, const char *entry);
+
+static inline bool strlist__has_entry(struct strlist *self, const char *entry)
+{
+	return strlist__find(self, entry) != NULL;
+}
 
 static inline bool strlist__empty(const struct strlist *self)
 {