diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
index a0316ce910db61..997e0a4b0902a7 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
@@ -619,14 +619,17 @@ static int report__browse_hists(struct report *rep)
 	int ret;
 	struct perf_session *session = rep->session;
 	struct evlist *evlist = session->evlist;
-	const char *help = perf_tip(system_path(TIPDIR));
+	char *help = NULL, *path = NULL;
 
-	if (help == NULL) {
+	path = system_path(TIPDIR);
+	if (perf_tip(&help, path) || help == NULL) {
 		/* fallback for people who don't install perf ;-) */
-		help = perf_tip(DOCDIR);
-		if (help == NULL)
-			help = "Cannot load tips.txt file, please install perf!";
+		free(path);
+		path = system_path(DOCDIR);
+		if (perf_tip(&help, path) || help == NULL)
+			help = strdup("Cannot load tips.txt file, please install perf!");
 	}
+	free(path);
 
 	switch (use_browser) {
 	case 1:
@@ -651,7 +654,7 @@ static int report__browse_hists(struct report *rep)
 		ret = evlist__tty_browse_hists(evlist, rep, help);
 		break;
 	}
-
+	free(help);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.c b/tools/perf/util/util.c
index 37a9492edb3ebf..df3c4671be72af 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.c
@@ -379,32 +379,32 @@ fetch_kernel_version(unsigned int *puint, char *str,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-const char *perf_tip(const char *dirpath)
+int perf_tip(char **strp, const char *dirpath)
 {
 	struct strlist *tips;
 	struct str_node *node;
-	char *tip = NULL;
 	struct strlist_config conf = {
 		.dirname = dirpath,
 		.file_only = true,
 	};
+	int ret = 0;
 
+	*strp = NULL;
 	tips = strlist__new("tips.txt", &conf);
 	if (tips == NULL)
-		return errno == ENOENT ? NULL :
-			"Tip: check path of tips.txt or get more memory! ;-p";
+		return -errno;
 
 	if (strlist__nr_entries(tips) == 0)
 		goto out;
 
 	node = strlist__entry(tips, random() % strlist__nr_entries(tips));
-	if (asprintf(&tip, "Tip: %s", node->s) < 0)
-		tip = (char *)"Tip: get more memory! ;-)";
+	if (asprintf(strp, "Tip: %s", node->s) < 0)
+		ret = -ENOMEM;
 
 out:
 	strlist__delete(tips);
 
-	return tip;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 char *perf_exe(char *buf, int len)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/util.h b/tools/perf/util/util.h
index ad737052e59776..9f0d36ba77f2d1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/util.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/util.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ int fetch_kernel_version(unsigned int *puint,
 #define KVER_FMT	"%d.%d.%d"
 #define KVER_PARAM(x)	KVER_VERSION(x), KVER_PATCHLEVEL(x), KVER_SUBLEVEL(x)
 
-const char *perf_tip(const char *dirpath);
+int perf_tip(char **strp, const char *dirpath);
 
 #ifndef HAVE_SCHED_GETCPU_SUPPORT
 int sched_getcpu(void);