diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index 3f16e08a5c8d..ea32a061f1c8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -349,6 +349,10 @@ struct perf_evsel *perf_evlist__id2evsel(struct perf_evlist *evlist, u64 id)
 	hlist_for_each_entry(sid, pos, head, node)
 		if (sid->id == id)
 			return sid->evsel;
+
+	if (!perf_evlist__sample_id_all(evlist))
+		return list_entry(evlist->entries.next, struct perf_evsel, node);
+
 	return NULL;
 }