diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index 0843746bc389..bf2c4936e35f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -265,6 +265,11 @@ bool perf_evlist__valid_read_format(struct perf_evlist *evlist);
 void perf_evlist__splice_list_tail(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 				   struct list_head *list);
 
+static inline bool perf_evlist__empty(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
+{
+	return list_empty(&evlist->entries);
+}
+
 static inline struct perf_evsel *perf_evlist__first(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 {
 	return list_entry(evlist->entries.next, struct perf_evsel, node);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.c b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
index 8b327c955a4f..12359bd986db 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
@@ -2563,7 +2563,7 @@ static const char *get_default_sort_order(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 
 	BUG_ON(sort__mode >= ARRAY_SIZE(default_sort_orders));
 
-	if (evlist == NULL)
+	if (evlist == NULL || perf_evlist__empty(evlist))
 		goto out_no_evlist;
 
 	evlist__for_each_entry(evlist, evsel) {