diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
index 63522322e118..2f5910b31fa9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evsel.c
@@ -829,11 +829,9 @@ bool evsel__name_is(struct evsel *evsel, const char *name)
 
 const char *evsel__group_pmu_name(const struct evsel *evsel)
 {
-	struct evsel *leader, *pos;
+	struct evsel *leader = evsel__leader(evsel);
+	struct evsel *pos;
 
-	/* If the pmu_name is set use it. pmu_name isn't set for CPU and software events. */
-	if (evsel->pmu_name)
-		return evsel->pmu_name;
 	/*
 	 * Software events may be in a group with other uncore PMU events. Use
 	 * the pmu_name of the first non-software event to avoid breaking the
@@ -842,7 +840,6 @@ const char *evsel__group_pmu_name(const struct evsel *evsel)
 	 * Aux event leaders, like intel_pt, expect a group with events from
 	 * other PMUs, so substitute the AUX event's PMU in this case.
 	 */
-	leader  = evsel__leader(evsel);
 	if (evsel->core.attr.type == PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE || evsel__is_aux_event(leader)) {
 		/* Starting with the leader, find the first event with a named PMU. */
 		for_each_group_evsel(pos, leader) {
@@ -851,7 +848,7 @@ const char *evsel__group_pmu_name(const struct evsel *evsel)
 		}
 	}
 
-	return "cpu";
+	return evsel->pmu_name ?: "cpu";
 }
 
 const char *evsel__metric_id(const struct evsel *evsel)