struct perf_header *ph __maybe_unused,
                                int fd, void *data)
 {
-       trace_report(fd, data, false);
-       return 0;
+       ssize_t ret = trace_report(fd, data, false);
+       return ret < 0 ? -1 : 0;
 }
 
 static int process_build_id(struct perf_file_section *section,
        if (evsel->tp_format)
                return 0;
 
+       if (pevent == NULL) {
+               pr_debug("broken or missing trace data\n");
+               return -1;
+       }
+
        event = pevent_find_event(pevent, evsel->attr.config);
        if (event == NULL)
                return -1;
 
        int show_version = 0;
        int show_funcs = 0;
        int show_printk = 0;
-       ssize_t size;
+       ssize_t size = -1;
+       struct pevent *pevent;
+
+       *ppevent = NULL;
 
        calc_data_size = 1;
        repipe = __repipe;
        file_bigendian = buf[0];
        host_bigendian = bigendian();
 
-       *ppevent = read_trace_init(file_bigendian, host_bigendian);
-       if (*ppevent == NULL)
-               die("read_trace_init failed");
+       pevent = read_trace_init(file_bigendian, host_bigendian);
+       if (pevent == NULL) {
+               pr_debug("read_trace_init failed");
+               goto out;
+       }
 
        read_or_die(buf, 1);
        long_size = buf[0];
 
-       page_size = read4(*ppevent);
-
-       read_header_files(*ppevent);
+       page_size = read4(pevent);
 
-       read_ftrace_files(*ppevent);
-       read_event_files(*ppevent);
-       read_proc_kallsyms(*ppevent);
-       read_ftrace_printk(*ppevent);
+       read_header_files(pevent);
+       read_ftrace_files(pevent);
+       read_event_files(pevent);
+       read_proc_kallsyms(pevent);
+       read_ftrace_printk(pevent);
 
        size = calc_data_size - 1;
        calc_data_size = 0;
        repipe = false;
 
        if (show_funcs) {
-               pevent_print_funcs(*ppevent);
-               return size;
-       }
-       if (show_printk) {
-               pevent_print_printk(*ppevent);
-               return size;
+               pevent_print_funcs(pevent);
+       } else if (show_printk) {
+               pevent_print_printk(pevent);
        }
 
+       *ppevent = pevent;
+       pevent = NULL;
+
+out:
+       if (pevent)
+               pevent_free(pevent);
        return size;
 }