diff --git a/tools/perf/util/header.c b/tools/perf/util/header.c
index d812e1e371a7..e86b9439ffee 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/header.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/header.c
@@ -2573,7 +2573,7 @@ static int process_cmdline(struct feat_fd *ff, void *data __maybe_unused)
 static int process_cpu_topology(struct feat_fd *ff, void *data __maybe_unused)
 {
 	u32 nr, i;
-	char *str;
+	char *str = NULL;
 	struct strbuf sb;
 	int cpu_nr = ff->ph->env.nr_cpus_avail;
 	u64 size = 0;
@@ -2601,7 +2601,7 @@ static int process_cpu_topology(struct feat_fd *ff, void *data __maybe_unused)
 		if (strbuf_add(&sb, str, strlen(str) + 1) < 0)
 			goto error;
 		size += string_size(str);
-		free(str);
+		zfree(&str);
 	}
 	ph->env.sibling_cores = strbuf_detach(&sb, NULL);
 
@@ -2620,7 +2620,7 @@ static int process_cpu_topology(struct feat_fd *ff, void *data __maybe_unused)
 		if (strbuf_add(&sb, str, strlen(str) + 1) < 0)
 			goto error;
 		size += string_size(str);
-		free(str);
+		zfree(&str);
 	}
 	ph->env.sibling_threads = strbuf_detach(&sb, NULL);
 
@@ -2684,7 +2684,7 @@ static int process_cpu_topology(struct feat_fd *ff, void *data __maybe_unused)
 		if (strbuf_add(&sb, str, strlen(str) + 1) < 0)
 			goto error;
 		size += string_size(str);
-		free(str);
+		zfree(&str);
 	}
 	ph->env.sibling_dies = strbuf_detach(&sb, NULL);
 
@@ -2699,6 +2699,7 @@ static int process_cpu_topology(struct feat_fd *ff, void *data __maybe_unused)
 
 error:
 	strbuf_release(&sb);
+	zfree(&str);
 free_cpu:
 	zfree(&ph->env.cpu);
 	return -1;
@@ -2736,10 +2737,9 @@ static int process_numa_topology(struct feat_fd *ff, void *data __maybe_unused)
 			goto error;
 
 		n->map = perf_cpu_map__new(str);
+		free(str);
 		if (!n->map)
 			goto error;
-
-		free(str);
 	}
 	ff->ph->env.nr_numa_nodes = nr;
 	ff->ph->env.numa_nodes = nodes;
@@ -2913,10 +2913,10 @@ static int process_cache(struct feat_fd *ff, void *data __maybe_unused)
 		return -1;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
-		struct cpu_cache_level c;
+		struct cpu_cache_level *c = &caches[i];
 
 		#define _R(v)						\
-			if (do_read_u32(ff, &c.v))\
+			if (do_read_u32(ff, &c->v))			\
 				goto out_free_caches;			\
 
 		_R(level)
@@ -2926,22 +2926,25 @@ static int process_cache(struct feat_fd *ff, void *data __maybe_unused)
 		#undef _R
 
 		#define _R(v)					\
-			c.v = do_read_string(ff);		\
-			if (!c.v)				\
-				goto out_free_caches;
+			c->v = do_read_string(ff);		\
+			if (!c->v)				\
+				goto out_free_caches;		\
 
 		_R(type)
 		_R(size)
 		_R(map)
 		#undef _R
-
-		caches[i] = c;
 	}
 
 	ff->ph->env.caches = caches;
 	ff->ph->env.caches_cnt = cnt;
 	return 0;
 out_free_caches:
+	for (i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
+		free(caches[i].type);
+		free(caches[i].size);
+		free(caches[i].map);
+	}
 	free(caches);
 	return -1;
 }
@@ -3585,18 +3588,16 @@ static int perf_header__adds_write(struct perf_header *header,
 				   struct feat_copier *fc)
 {
 	int nr_sections;
-	struct feat_fd ff;
+	struct feat_fd ff = {
+		.fd  = fd,
+		.ph = header,
+	};
 	struct perf_file_section *feat_sec, *p;
 	int sec_size;
 	u64 sec_start;
 	int feat;
 	int err;
 
-	ff = (struct feat_fd){
-		.fd  = fd,
-		.ph = header,
-	};
-
 	nr_sections = bitmap_weight(header->adds_features, HEADER_FEAT_BITS);
 	if (!nr_sections)
 		return 0;
@@ -3623,6 +3624,7 @@ static int perf_header__adds_write(struct perf_header *header,
 	err = do_write(&ff, feat_sec, sec_size);
 	if (err < 0)
 		pr_debug("failed to write feature section\n");
+	free(ff.buf); /* TODO: added to silence clang-tidy. */
 	free(feat_sec);
 	return err;
 }
@@ -3630,11 +3632,11 @@ static int perf_header__adds_write(struct perf_header *header,
 int perf_header__write_pipe(int fd)
 {
 	struct perf_pipe_file_header f_header;
-	struct feat_fd ff;
+	struct feat_fd ff = {
+		.fd = fd,
+	};
 	int err;
 
-	ff = (struct feat_fd){ .fd = fd };
-
 	f_header = (struct perf_pipe_file_header){
 		.magic	   = PERF_MAGIC,
 		.size	   = sizeof(f_header),
@@ -3645,7 +3647,7 @@ int perf_header__write_pipe(int fd)
 		pr_debug("failed to write perf pipe header\n");
 		return err;
 	}
-
+	free(ff.buf);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -3658,11 +3660,12 @@ static int perf_session__do_write_header(struct perf_session *session,
 	struct perf_file_attr   f_attr;
 	struct perf_header *header = &session->header;
 	struct evsel *evsel;
-	struct feat_fd ff;
+	struct feat_fd ff = {
+		.fd = fd,
+	};
 	u64 attr_offset;
 	int err;
 
-	ff = (struct feat_fd){ .fd = fd};
 	lseek(fd, sizeof(f_header), SEEK_SET);
 
 	evlist__for_each_entry(session->evlist, evsel) {
@@ -3670,6 +3673,7 @@ static int perf_session__do_write_header(struct perf_session *session,
 		err = do_write(&ff, evsel->core.id, evsel->core.ids * sizeof(u64));
 		if (err < 0) {
 			pr_debug("failed to write perf header\n");
+			free(ff.buf);
 			return err;
 		}
 	}
@@ -3695,6 +3699,7 @@ static int perf_session__do_write_header(struct perf_session *session,
 		err = do_write(&ff, &f_attr, sizeof(f_attr));
 		if (err < 0) {
 			pr_debug("failed to write perf header attribute\n");
+			free(ff.buf);
 			return err;
 		}
 	}
@@ -3705,8 +3710,10 @@ static int perf_session__do_write_header(struct perf_session *session,
 
 	if (at_exit) {
 		err = perf_header__adds_write(header, evlist, fd, fc);
-		if (err < 0)
+		if (err < 0) {
+			free(ff.buf);
 			return err;
+		}
 	}
 
 	f_header = (struct perf_file_header){
@@ -3728,6 +3735,7 @@ static int perf_session__do_write_header(struct perf_session *session,
 
 	lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET);
 	err = do_write(&ff, &f_header, sizeof(f_header));
+	free(ff.buf);
 	if (err < 0) {
 		pr_debug("failed to write perf header\n");
 		return err;
