diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index 5dae7b172291..765b998755ce 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -976,6 +976,7 @@ static struct syscall_fmt *syscall_fmt__find_by_alias(const char *alias)
  * is_exit: is this "exit" or "exit_group"?
  * is_open: is this "open" or "openat"? To associate the fd returned in sys_exit with the pathname in sys_enter.
  * args_size: sum of the sizes of the syscall arguments, anything after that is augmented stuff: pathname for openat, etc.
+ * nonexistent: Just a hole in the syscall table, syscall id not allocated
  */
 struct syscall {
 	struct tep_event    *tp_format;
@@ -987,6 +988,7 @@ struct syscall {
 	}		    bpf_prog;
 	bool		    is_exit;
 	bool		    is_open;
+	bool		    nonexistent;
 	struct tep_format_field *args;
 	const char	    *name;
 	struct syscall_fmt  *fmt;
@@ -1491,9 +1493,6 @@ static int trace__read_syscall_info(struct trace *trace, int id)
 	struct syscall *sc;
 	const char *name = syscalltbl__name(trace->sctbl, id);
 
-	if (name == NULL)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
 	if (id > trace->syscalls.max) {
 		struct syscall *nsyscalls = realloc(trace->syscalls.table, (id + 1) * sizeof(*sc));
 
@@ -1512,8 +1511,15 @@ static int trace__read_syscall_info(struct trace *trace, int id)
 	}
 
 	sc = trace->syscalls.table + id;
-	sc->name = name;
+	if (sc->nonexistent)
+		return 0;
 
+	if (name == NULL) {
+		sc->nonexistent = true;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	sc->name = name;
 	sc->fmt  = syscall_fmt__find(sc->name);
 
 	snprintf(tp_name, sizeof(tp_name), "sys_enter_%s", sc->name);
@@ -1811,14 +1817,21 @@ static struct syscall *trace__syscall_info(struct trace *trace,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	err = -EINVAL;
+
 	if ((id > trace->syscalls.max || trace->syscalls.table[id].name == NULL) &&
 	    (err = trace__read_syscall_info(trace, id)) != 0)
 		goto out_cant_read;
 
-	err = -EINVAL;
-	if ((id > trace->syscalls.max || trace->syscalls.table[id].name == NULL))
+	if (id > trace->syscalls.max)
 		goto out_cant_read;
 
+	if (trace->syscalls.table[id].name == NULL) {
+		if (trace->syscalls.table[id].nonexistent)
+			return NULL;
+		goto out_cant_read;
+	}
+
 	return &trace->syscalls.table[id];
 
 out_cant_read: