--- x/kernel/events/core.c
+++ c/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -2291,6 +2291,7 @@ event_sched_out(struct perf_event *event
 		    !event->pending_work) {
 			event->pending_work = 1;
 			dec = false;
+			atomic_long_inc(&event->refcount);
 			task_work_add(current, &event->pending_task, TWA_RESUME);
 		}
 		if (dec)
@@ -6561,6 +6562,8 @@ static void perf_pending_task(struct cal
 	struct perf_event *event = container_of(head, struct perf_event, pending_task);
 	int rctx;
 
+	if (event->state == PERF_EVENT_STATE_DEAD)
+		goto out;
 	/*
 	 * If we 'fail' here, that's OK, it means recursion is already disabled
 	 * and we won't recurse 'further'.
@@ -6577,6 +6580,8 @@ static void perf_pending_task(struct cal
 	if (rctx >= 0)
 		perf_swevent_put_recursion_context(rctx);
 	preempt_enable_notrace();
+out:
+	put_event(event);
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_GUEST_PERF_EVENTS