diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/perf-time-to-tsc.c b/tools/perf/tests/perf-time-to-tsc.c
index 4ad0dfbc8b21..8d6d60173693 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/perf-time-to-tsc.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/perf-time-to-tsc.c
@@ -123,11 +123,14 @@ static int test__perf_time_to_tsc(struct test_suite *test __maybe_unused, int su
 		evsel->core.attr.enable_on_exec = 0;
 	}
 
-	if (evlist__open(evlist) == -ENOENT) {
-		err = TEST_SKIP;
+	ret = evlist__open(evlist);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		if (ret == -ENOENT)
+			err = TEST_SKIP;
+		else
+			pr_debug("evlist__open() failed\n");
 		goto out_err;
 	}
-	CHECK__(evlist__open(evlist));
 
 	CHECK__(evlist__mmap(evlist, UINT_MAX));