diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/kprobe/kprobe_syntax_errors.tc b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/kprobe/kprobe_syntax_errors.tc
index 7c02509c71d0..9e85d3019ff0 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/kprobe/kprobe_syntax_errors.tc
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/kprobe/kprobe_syntax_errors.tc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ check_error 'p:^/bar vfs_read'		# NO_GROUP_NAME
 check_error 'p:^12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345/bar vfs_read'	# GROUP_TOO_LONG
 
 check_error 'p:^foo.1/bar vfs_read'	# BAD_GROUP_NAME
+check_error 'p:^ vfs_read'		# NO_EVENT_NAME
 check_error 'p:foo/^12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345 vfs_read'	# EVENT_TOO_LONG
 check_error 'p:foo/^bar.1 vfs_read'	# BAD_EVENT_NAME