diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.c b/tools/perf/util/header.c
index 41424a1..1fa97dd 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.c
@@ -2120,23 +2120,23 @@
 }
 
 int perf_event__process_attr(union perf_event *event,
-			     struct perf_session *session)
+			     struct perf_evlist **pevlist)
 {
 	unsigned int i, ids, n_ids;
 	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+	struct perf_evlist *evlist = *pevlist;
 
-	if (session->evlist == NULL) {
-		session->evlist = perf_evlist__new(NULL, NULL);
-		if (session->evlist == NULL)
+	if (evlist == NULL) {
+		*pevlist = evlist = perf_evlist__new(NULL, NULL);
+		if (evlist == NULL)
 			return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&event->attr.attr,
-				session->evlist->nr_entries);
+	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&event->attr.attr, evlist->nr_entries);
 	if (evsel == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	perf_evlist__add(session->evlist, evsel);
+	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
 
 	ids = event->header.size;
 	ids -= (void *)&event->attr.id - (void *)event;
@@ -2150,12 +2150,9 @@
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < n_ids; i++) {
-		perf_evlist__id_add(session->evlist, evsel, 0, i,
-				    event->attr.id[i]);
+		perf_evlist__id_add(evlist, evsel, 0, i, event->attr.id[i]);
 	}
 
-	perf_session__update_sample_type(session);
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.h b/tools/perf/util/header.h
index 3d5a742..0a88982 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.h
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
 				struct perf_session *session);
 int perf_session__synthesize_attrs(struct perf_session *session,
 				   perf_event__handler_t process);
-int perf_event__process_attr(union perf_event *event, struct perf_session *session);
+int perf_event__process_attr(union perf_event *event, struct perf_evlist **pevlist);
 
 int perf_event__synthesize_event_type(u64 event_id, char *name,
 				      perf_event__handler_t process,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/session.c b/tools/perf/util/session.c
index 675e080..6e7d5f5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/session.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/session.c
@@ -277,6 +277,13 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int process_event_synth_attr_stub(union perf_event *event __used,
+					 struct perf_evlist **pevlist __used)
+{
+	dump_printf(": unhandled!\n");
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int process_event_sample_stub(union perf_event *event __used,
 				     struct perf_sample *sample __used,
 				     struct perf_evsel *evsel __used,
@@ -327,7 +334,7 @@
 	if (handler->unthrottle == NULL)
 		handler->unthrottle = process_event_stub;
 	if (handler->attr == NULL)
-		handler->attr = process_event_synth_stub;
+		handler->attr = process_event_synth_attr_stub;
 	if (handler->event_type == NULL)
 		handler->event_type = process_event_synth_stub;
 	if (handler->tracing_data == NULL)
@@ -794,12 +801,17 @@
 static int perf_session__process_user_event(struct perf_session *session, union perf_event *event,
 					    struct perf_event_ops *ops, u64 file_offset)
 {
+	int err;
+
 	dump_event(session, event, file_offset, NULL);
 
 	/* These events are processed right away */
 	switch (event->header.type) {
 	case PERF_RECORD_HEADER_ATTR:
-		return ops->attr(event, session);
+		err = ops->attr(event, &session->evlist);
+		if (err == 0)
+			perf_session__update_sample_type(session);
+		return err;
 	case PERF_RECORD_HEADER_EVENT_TYPE:
 		return ops->event_type(event, session);
 	case PERF_RECORD_HEADER_TRACING_DATA:
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/session.h b/tools/perf/util/session.h
index 76d462d..13bd5e0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/session.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/session.h
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@
 			struct perf_session *session);
 typedef int (*event_synth_op)(union perf_event *self,
 			      struct perf_session *session);
+typedef int (*event_attr_op)(union perf_event *event,
+			     struct perf_evlist **pevlist);
 typedef int (*event_op2)(union perf_event *self, struct perf_session *session,
 			 struct perf_event_ops *ops);
 
@@ -76,8 +78,8 @@
 			read,
 			throttle,
 			unthrottle;
-	event_synth_op	attr,
-			event_type,
+	event_attr_op	attr;
+	event_synth_op	event_type,
 			tracing_data,
 			build_id;
 	event_op2	finished_round;