diff --git a/tools/lib/subcmd/parse-options.c b/tools/lib/subcmd/parse-options.c
index 4b60ec03b0bb..eb896d30545b 100644
--- a/tools/lib/subcmd/parse-options.c
+++ b/tools/lib/subcmd/parse-options.c
@@ -633,10 +633,11 @@ int parse_options_subcommand(int argc, const char **argv, const struct option *o
 			const char *const subcommands[], const char *usagestr[], int flags)
 {
 	struct parse_opt_ctx_t ctx;
-	char *buf = NULL;
 
 	/* build usage string if it's not provided */
 	if (subcommands && !usagestr[0]) {
+		char *buf = NULL;
+
 		astrcatf(&buf, "%s %s [<options>] {", subcmd_config.exec_name, argv[0]);
 
 		for (int i = 0; subcommands[i]; i++) {
@@ -678,10 +679,7 @@ int parse_options_subcommand(int argc, const char **argv, const struct option *o
 			astrcatf(&error_buf, "unknown switch `%c'", *ctx.opt);
 		usage_with_options(usagestr, options);
 	}
-	if (buf) {
-		usagestr[0] = NULL;
-		free(buf);
-	}
+
 	return parse_options_end(&ctx);
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
index b3cbac40b8c7..a756147e2eec 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
@@ -2057,6 +2057,8 @@ int cmd_kmem(int argc, const char **argv)
 
 out_delete:
 	perf_session__delete(session);
+	/* free usage string allocated by parse_options_subcommand */
+	free((void *)kmem_usage[0]);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
index 692267b1b7e8..55ea17c5ff02 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
@@ -2184,5 +2184,8 @@ int cmd_kvm(int argc, const char **argv)
 	else
 		usage_with_options(kvm_usage, kvm_options);
 
+	/* free usage string allocated by parse_options_subcommand */
+	free((void *)kvm_usage[0]);
+
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kwork.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kwork.c
index 6a4281b8fd10..c1daf82c9b92 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kwork.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kwork.c
@@ -2519,5 +2519,8 @@ int cmd_kwork(int argc, const char **argv)
 	} else
 		usage_with_options(kwork_usage, kwork_options);
 
+	/* free usage string allocated by parse_options_subcommand */
+	free((void *)kwork_usage[0]);
+
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c b/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
index 2c216427e929..062e2b56a2ab 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
@@ -2712,6 +2712,9 @@ int cmd_lock(int argc, const char **argv)
 		usage_with_options(lock_usage, lock_options);
 	}
 
+	/* free usage string allocated by parse_options_subcommand */
+	free((void *)lock_usage[0]);
+
 	zfree(&lockhash_table);
 	return rc;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c b/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c
index 18e5f9a0ddc2..bb38bb5a1c26 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c
@@ -546,5 +546,8 @@ int cmd_mem(int argc, const char **argv)
 	else
 		usage_with_options(mem_usage, mem_options);
 
+	/* free usage string allocated by parse_options_subcommand */
+	free((void *)mem_usage[0]);
+
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
index 0a7b2b2acd56..5981cc51abc8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
@@ -3954,5 +3954,8 @@ int cmd_sched(int argc, const char **argv)
 		usage_with_options(sched_usage, sched_options);
 	}
 
+	/* free usage string allocated by parse_options_subcommand */
+	free((void *)sched_usage[0]);
+
 	return 0;
 }