diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 98aee922acca..28106059bf12 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ static int dso__load_sym(struct dso *self, int fd, const char *name,
 	GElf_Sym sym;
 	Elf_Scn *sec, *sec_strndx;
 	Elf *elf;
-	int nr = 0;
+	int nr = 0, kernel = !strcmp("[kernel]", self->name);
 
 	elf = elf_begin(fd, ELF_C_READ_MMAP, NULL);
 	if (elf == NULL) {
@@ -571,10 +571,13 @@ static int dso__load_sym(struct dso *self, int fd, const char *name,
 	nr_syms = shdr.sh_size / shdr.sh_entsize;
 
 	memset(&sym, 0, sizeof(sym));
-	self->adjust_symbols = (ehdr.e_type == ET_EXEC ||
+	if (!kernel) {
+		self->adjust_symbols = (ehdr.e_type == ET_EXEC ||
 				elf_section_by_name(elf, &ehdr, &shdr,
 						     ".gnu.prelink_undo",
 						     NULL) != NULL);
+	} else self->adjust_symbols = 0;
+
 	elf_symtab__for_each_symbol(syms, nr_syms, index, sym) {
 		struct symbol *f;
 		const char *name;