diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c b/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c
index b0d005d295a9..de2ddfe0f7c3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ int test__task_exit(int subtest __maybe_unused)
 	if (perf_evlist__mmap(evlist, 128, true) < 0) {
 		pr_debug("failed to mmap events: %d (%s)\n", errno,
 			 str_error_r(errno, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf)));
+		err = -1;
 		goto out_delete_evlist;
 	}