diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c b/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c
index 1802ad3f45b63..e2fab5229ec08 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/pmu.c
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ int test__pmu(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 39abbf8276464..5f1ba6f84f5f7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.c
@@ -1018,6 +1018,17 @@ 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 25712034c815b..fed6c3b56ce75 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pmu.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ 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);