diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
index f7d9c77ee31b..6bfcab9b7108 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.c
@@ -1150,6 +1150,23 @@ out_delete_threads:
 	return -1;
 }
 
+int perf_evlist__set_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
+			  struct cpu_map *cpus,
+			  struct thread_map *threads)
+{
+	if (evlist->cpus)
+		cpu_map__put(evlist->cpus);
+
+	evlist->cpus = cpus;
+
+	if (evlist->threads)
+		thread_map__put(evlist->threads);
+
+	evlist->threads = threads;
+
+	return perf_evlist__propagate_maps(evlist, false);
+}
+
 int perf_evlist__apply_filters(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel **err_evsel)
 {
 	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
index 037633c1da9d..406a8216a51e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/evlist.h
@@ -152,14 +152,9 @@ int perf_evlist__enable_event_idx(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 void perf_evlist__set_selected(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
 			       struct perf_evsel *evsel);
 
-static inline void perf_evlist__set_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
-					 struct cpu_map *cpus,
-					 struct thread_map *threads)
-{
-	evlist->cpus	= cpus;
-	evlist->threads	= threads;
-}
-
+int perf_evlist__set_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist,
+			  struct cpu_map *cpus,
+			  struct thread_map *threads);
 int perf_evlist__create_maps(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct target *target);
 int perf_evlist__apply_filters(struct perf_evlist *evlist, struct perf_evsel **err_evsel);