diff --git a/tools/perf/util/machine.c b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
index 205d27017361..9d931f5d47d0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/machine.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
@@ -1353,11 +1353,16 @@ int machine__process_mmap2_event(struct machine *machine,
 	if (map == NULL)
 		goto out_problem_map;
 
-	thread__insert_map(thread, map);
+	ret = thread__insert_map(thread, map);
+	if (ret)
+		goto out_problem_insert;
+
 	thread__put(thread);
 	map__put(map);
 	return 0;
 
+out_problem_insert:
+	map__put(map);
 out_problem_map:
 	thread__put(thread);
 out_problem:
@@ -1403,11 +1408,16 @@ int machine__process_mmap_event(struct machine *machine, union perf_event *event
 	if (map == NULL)
 		goto out_problem_map;
 
-	thread__insert_map(thread, map);
+	ret = thread__insert_map(thread, map);
+	if (ret)
+		goto out_problem_insert;
+
 	thread__put(thread);
 	map__put(map);
 	return 0;
 
+out_problem_insert:
+	map__put(map);
 out_problem_map:
 	thread__put(thread);
 out_problem:
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/thread.c b/tools/perf/util/thread.c
index ada58e6070bf..0bf552560a41 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/thread.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/thread.c
@@ -43,9 +43,6 @@ struct thread *thread__new(pid_t pid, pid_t tid)
 		thread->cpu = -1;
 		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&thread->comm_list);
 
-		if (unwind__prepare_access(thread) < 0)
-			goto err_thread;
-
 		comm_str = malloc(32);
 		if (!comm_str)
 			goto err_thread;
@@ -201,10 +198,18 @@ size_t thread__fprintf(struct thread *thread, FILE *fp)
 	       map_groups__fprintf(thread->mg, fp);
 }
 
-void thread__insert_map(struct thread *thread, struct map *map)
+int thread__insert_map(struct thread *thread, struct map *map)
 {
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = unwind__prepare_access(thread);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
 	map_groups__fixup_overlappings(thread->mg, map, stderr);
 	map_groups__insert(thread->mg, map);
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int thread__clone_map_groups(struct thread *thread,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/thread.h b/tools/perf/util/thread.h
index 07ffb18221ab..99263cb6e6b6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/thread.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/thread.h
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ int thread__comm_len(struct thread *thread);
 struct comm *thread__comm(const struct thread *thread);
 struct comm *thread__exec_comm(const struct thread *thread);
 const char *thread__comm_str(const struct thread *thread);
-void thread__insert_map(struct thread *thread, struct map *map);
+int thread__insert_map(struct thread *thread, struct map *map);
 int thread__fork(struct thread *thread, struct thread *parent, u64 timestamp);
 size_t thread__fprintf(struct thread *thread, FILE *fp);