diff --git a/tools/lib/perf/tests/test-evlist.c b/tools/lib/perf/tests/test-evlist.c
index 7435529fb21c6d9cb96fd573a04e4b630674bef9..c67c833991708547dc06f9d843bde8d7965be908 100644
--- a/tools/lib/perf/tests/test-evlist.c
+++ b/tools/lib/perf/tests/test-evlist.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <internal/tests.h>
 #include <api/fs/fs.h>
 #include "tests.h"
+#include <internal/evsel.h>
 
 static int libperf_print(enum libperf_print_level level,
 			 const char *fmt, va_list ap)
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ static int test_stat_cpu(void)
 {
 	struct perf_cpu_map *cpus;
 	struct perf_evlist *evlist;
-	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel, *leader;
 	struct perf_event_attr attr1 = {
 		.type	= PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE,
 		.config	= PERF_COUNT_SW_CPU_CLOCK,
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ static int test_stat_cpu(void)
 	evlist = perf_evlist__new();
 	__T("failed to create evlist", evlist);
 
-	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&attr1);
+	evsel = leader = perf_evsel__new(&attr1);
 	__T("failed to create evsel1", evsel);
 
 	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
@@ -57,6 +58,10 @@ static int test_stat_cpu(void)
 
 	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
 
+	perf_evlist__set_leader(evlist);
+	__T("failed to set leader", leader->leader == leader);
+	__T("failed to set leader", evsel->leader  == leader);
+
 	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, cpus, NULL);
 
 	err = perf_evlist__open(evlist);
@@ -85,7 +90,7 @@ static int test_stat_thread(void)
 	struct perf_counts_values counts = { .val = 0 };
 	struct perf_thread_map *threads;
 	struct perf_evlist *evlist;
-	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel, *leader;
 	struct perf_event_attr attr1 = {
 		.type	= PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE,
 		.config	= PERF_COUNT_SW_CPU_CLOCK,
@@ -104,7 +109,7 @@ static int test_stat_thread(void)
 	evlist = perf_evlist__new();
 	__T("failed to create evlist", evlist);
 
-	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&attr1);
+	evsel = leader = perf_evsel__new(&attr1);
 	__T("failed to create evsel1", evsel);
 
 	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
@@ -114,6 +119,10 @@ static int test_stat_thread(void)
 
 	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
 
+	perf_evlist__set_leader(evlist);
+	__T("failed to set leader", leader->leader == leader);
+	__T("failed to set leader", evsel->leader  == leader);
+
 	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, NULL, threads);
 
 	err = perf_evlist__open(evlist);
@@ -136,7 +145,7 @@ static int test_stat_thread_enable(void)
 	struct perf_counts_values counts = { .val = 0 };
 	struct perf_thread_map *threads;
 	struct perf_evlist *evlist;
-	struct perf_evsel *evsel;
+	struct perf_evsel *evsel, *leader;
 	struct perf_event_attr attr1 = {
 		.type	  = PERF_TYPE_SOFTWARE,
 		.config	  = PERF_COUNT_SW_CPU_CLOCK,
@@ -157,7 +166,7 @@ static int test_stat_thread_enable(void)
 	evlist = perf_evlist__new();
 	__T("failed to create evlist", evlist);
 
-	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&attr1);
+	evsel = leader = perf_evsel__new(&attr1);
 	__T("failed to create evsel1", evsel);
 
 	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
@@ -167,6 +176,10 @@ static int test_stat_thread_enable(void)
 
 	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
 
+	perf_evlist__set_leader(evlist);
+	__T("failed to set leader", leader->leader == leader);
+	__T("failed to set leader", evsel->leader  == leader);
+
 	perf_evlist__set_maps(evlist, NULL, threads);
 
 	err = perf_evlist__open(evlist);
@@ -254,6 +267,7 @@ static int test_mmap_thread(void)
 
 	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&attr);
 	__T("failed to create evsel1", evsel);
+	__T("failed to set leader", evsel->leader == evsel);
 
 	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);
 
@@ -339,6 +353,7 @@ static int test_mmap_cpus(void)
 
 	evsel = perf_evsel__new(&attr);
 	__T("failed to create evsel1", evsel);
+	__T("failed to set leader", evsel->leader == evsel);
 
 	perf_evlist__add(evlist, evsel);