diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index ee82e858ab20..ebe4fad0d475 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -2873,8 +2873,8 @@ errno_print: {
 	else if (sc->fmt->errpid) {
 		struct thread *child = machine__find_thread(trace->host, ret, ret);
 
+		fprintf(trace->output, "%ld", ret);
 		if (child != NULL) {
-			fprintf(trace->output, "%ld", ret);
 			if (thread__comm_set(child))
 				fprintf(trace->output, " (%s)", thread__comm_str(child));
 			thread__put(child);