diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol_fprintf.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol_fprintf.c
index 35c936ce33efa6ea202cd7374d86a7eaeaf5f818..2664fb65e47ada941fc40c1aead2c9aeea0e54e8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol_fprintf.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol_fprintf.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ size_t dso__fprintf_symbols_by_name(struct dso *dso,
 
 	for (nd = rb_first_cached(&dso->symbol_names); nd; nd = rb_next(nd)) {
 		pos = rb_entry(nd, struct symbol_name_rb_node, rb_node);
-		fprintf(fp, "%s\n", pos->sym.name);
+		ret += fprintf(fp, "%s\n", pos->sym.name);
 	}
 
 	return ret;