diff --git a/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c b/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c
index cc75a3cef388065f3164fe270487d2b06d394c72..95d91a0b23afe01a45463a02dcc8eadbb5ba5169 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/scripting-engines/trace-event-python.c
@@ -56,6 +56,17 @@ static void handler_call_die(const char *handler_name)
 	Py_FatalError("problem in Python trace event handler");
 }
 
+/*
+ * Insert val into into the dictionary and decrement the reference counter.
+ * This is necessary for dictionaries since PyDict_SetItemString() does not 
+ * steal a reference, as opposed to PyTuple_SetItem().
+ */
+static void pydict_set_item_string_decref(PyObject *dict, const char *key, PyObject *val)
+{
+	PyDict_SetItemString(dict, key, val);
+	Py_DECREF(val);
+}
+
 static void define_value(enum print_arg_type field_type,
 			 const char *ev_name,
 			 const char *field_name,
@@ -279,11 +290,11 @@ static void python_process_tracepoint(union perf_event *perf_event
 		PyTuple_SetItem(t, n++, PyInt_FromLong(pid));
 		PyTuple_SetItem(t, n++, PyString_FromString(comm));
 	} else {
-		PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "common_cpu", PyInt_FromLong(cpu));
-		PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "common_s", PyInt_FromLong(s));
-		PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "common_ns", PyInt_FromLong(ns));
-		PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "common_pid", PyInt_FromLong(pid));
-		PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "common_comm", PyString_FromString(comm));
+		pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "common_cpu", PyInt_FromLong(cpu));
+		pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "common_s", PyInt_FromLong(s));
+		pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "common_ns", PyInt_FromLong(ns));
+		pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "common_pid", PyInt_FromLong(pid));
+		pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "common_comm", PyString_FromString(comm));
 	}
 	for (field = event->format.fields; field; field = field->next) {
 		if (field->flags & FIELD_IS_STRING) {
@@ -313,7 +324,7 @@ static void python_process_tracepoint(union perf_event *perf_event
 		if (handler)
 			PyTuple_SetItem(t, n++, obj);
 		else
-			PyDict_SetItemString(dict, field->name, obj);
+			pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, field->name, obj);
 
 	}
 	if (!handler)
@@ -370,21 +381,21 @@ static void python_process_general_event(union perf_event *perf_event
 	if (!handler || !PyCallable_Check(handler))
 		goto exit;
 
-	PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "ev_name", PyString_FromString(perf_evsel__name(evsel)));
-	PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "attr", PyString_FromStringAndSize(
+	pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "ev_name", PyString_FromString(perf_evsel__name(evsel)));
+	pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "attr", PyString_FromStringAndSize(
 			(const char *)&evsel->attr, sizeof(evsel->attr)));
-	PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "sample", PyString_FromStringAndSize(
+	pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "sample", PyString_FromStringAndSize(
 			(const char *)sample, sizeof(*sample)));
-	PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "raw_buf", PyString_FromStringAndSize(
+	pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "raw_buf", PyString_FromStringAndSize(
 			(const char *)sample->raw_data, sample->raw_size));
-	PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "comm",
+	pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "comm",
 			PyString_FromString(thread->comm));
 	if (al->map) {
-		PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "dso",
+		pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "dso",
 			PyString_FromString(al->map->dso->name));
 	}
 	if (al->sym) {
-		PyDict_SetItemString(dict, "symbol",
+		pydict_set_item_string_decref(dict, "symbol",
 			PyString_FromString(al->sym->name));
 	}