diff --git a/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c b/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c
index d7c99028c6e63..d96e5c0fef45a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c
@@ -735,6 +735,9 @@ static void regs_map(struct regs_dump *regs, uint64_t mask, const char *arch, ch
 	unsigned int i = 0, r;
 	int printed = 0;
 
+	if (size <= 0)
+		return;
+
 	bf[0] = 0;
 
 	if (!regs || !regs->regs)
@@ -764,7 +767,7 @@ static void set_regs_in_dict(PyObject *dict,
 	 * 10 chars is for register name.
 	 */
 	int size = __sw_hweight64(attr->sample_regs_intr) * 28;
-	char bf[size];
+	char *bf = malloc(size);
 
 	regs_map(&sample->intr_regs, attr->sample_regs_intr, arch, bf, sizeof(bf));
 
@@ -775,6 +778,7 @@ static void set_regs_in_dict(PyObject *dict,
 
 	pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "uregs",
 			_PyUnicode_FromString(bf));
+	free(bf);
 }
 
 static void set_sym_in_dict(PyObject *dict, struct addr_location *al,