diff --git a/tools/perf/util/db-export.c b/tools/perf/util/db-export.c
index c81dae399763..5499887edc46 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/db-export.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/db-export.c
@@ -282,8 +282,9 @@ int db_export__branch_type(struct db_export *dbe, u32 branch_type,
 
 int db_export__sample(struct db_export *dbe, union perf_event *event,
 		      struct perf_sample *sample, struct perf_evsel *evsel,
-		      struct thread *thread, struct addr_location *al)
+		      struct addr_location *al)
 {
+	struct thread* thread = al->thread;
 	struct export_sample es = {
 		.event = event,
 		.sample = sample,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/db-export.h b/tools/perf/util/db-export.h
index adbd22d66798..b9faa1386cf4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/db-export.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/db-export.h
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ int db_export__branch_type(struct db_export *dbe, u32 branch_type,
 			   const char *name);
 int db_export__sample(struct db_export *dbe, union perf_event *event,
 		      struct perf_sample *sample, struct perf_evsel *evsel,
-		      struct thread *thread, struct addr_location *al);
+		      struct addr_location *al);
 
 int db_export__branch_types(struct db_export *dbe);
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c b/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c
index de8df1d5e1bd..1d3cc1b01731 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c
@@ -852,8 +852,7 @@ static void python_process_event(union perf_event *event,
 	/* Reserve for future process_hw/sw/raw APIs */
 	default:
 		if (tables->db_export_mode)
-			db_export__sample(&tables->dbe, event, sample, evsel,
-					  al->thread, al);
+			db_export__sample(&tables->dbe, event, sample, evsel, al);
 		else
 			python_process_general_event(sample, evsel, al);
 	}