diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
index b24ecee95fec..fcf99bdeb19e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-stat.c
@@ -178,24 +178,19 @@ static void perf_evsel__free_stat_priv(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 
 static int perf_evsel__alloc_prev_raw_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 {
-	void *addr;
-	size_t sz;
+	struct perf_counts *counts;
 
-	sz = sizeof(*evsel->counts) +
-	     (perf_evsel__nr_cpus(evsel) * sizeof(struct perf_counts_values));
+	counts = perf_counts__new(perf_evsel__nr_cpus(evsel));
+	if (counts)
+		evsel->prev_raw_counts = counts;
 
-	addr = zalloc(sz);
-	if (!addr)
-		return -ENOMEM;
-
-	evsel->prev_raw_counts =  addr;
-
-	return 0;
+	return counts ? 0 : -ENOMEM;
 }
 
 static void perf_evsel__free_prev_raw_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 {
-	zfree(&evsel->prev_raw_counts);
+	perf_counts__delete(evsel->prev_raw_counts);
+	evsel->prev_raw_counts = NULL;
 }
 
 static void perf_evlist__free_stats(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/stat.c b/tools/perf/util/stat.c
index ac589b6b8bce..4014b709f956 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/stat.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/stat.c
@@ -95,20 +95,38 @@ void perf_stat_evsel_id_init(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 	}
 }
 
+struct perf_counts *perf_counts__new(int ncpus)
+{
+	int size = sizeof(struct perf_counts) +
+		   ncpus * sizeof(struct perf_counts_values);
+
+	return zalloc(size);
+}
+
+void perf_counts__delete(struct perf_counts *counts)
+{
+	free(counts);
+}
+
+static void perf_counts__reset(struct perf_counts *counts, int ncpus)
+{
+	memset(counts, 0, (sizeof(*counts) +
+	       (ncpus * sizeof(struct perf_counts_values))));
+}
+
 void perf_evsel__reset_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus)
 {
-	memset(evsel->counts, 0, (sizeof(*evsel->counts) +
-				 (ncpus * sizeof(struct perf_counts_values))));
+	perf_counts__reset(evsel->counts, ncpus);
 }
 
 int perf_evsel__alloc_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus)
 {
-	evsel->counts = zalloc((sizeof(*evsel->counts) +
-				(ncpus * sizeof(struct perf_counts_values))));
+	evsel->counts = perf_counts__new(ncpus);
 	return evsel->counts != NULL ? 0 : -ENOMEM;
 }
 
 void perf_evsel__free_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel)
 {
-	zfree(&evsel->counts);
+	perf_counts__delete(evsel->counts);
+	evsel->counts = NULL;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/stat.h b/tools/perf/util/stat.h
index 6a782601c1c7..093dc3cb28dd 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/stat.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/stat.h
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ void perf_stat__update_shadow_stats(struct perf_evsel *counter, u64 *count,
 void perf_stat__print_shadow_stats(FILE *out, struct perf_evsel *evsel,
 				   double avg, int cpu, enum aggr_mode aggr);
 
+struct perf_counts *perf_counts__new(int ncpus);
+void perf_counts__delete(struct perf_counts *counts);
+
 void perf_evsel__reset_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus);
 int perf_evsel__alloc_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel, int ncpus);
 void perf_evsel__free_counts(struct perf_evsel *evsel);