diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 86ec6c720f0f..f56158fb4dc9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -921,6 +921,7 @@ int filename__read_build_id(const char *filename, void *bf, size_t size)
 	GElf_Shdr shdr;
 	Elf_Data *data;
 	Elf_Scn *sec;
+	Elf_Kind ek;
 	void *ptr;
 	Elf *elf;
 
@@ -937,6 +938,10 @@ int filename__read_build_id(const char *filename, void *bf, size_t size)
 		goto out_close;
 	}
 
+	ek = elf_kind(elf);
+	if (ek != ELF_K_ELF)
+		goto out_elf_end;
+
 	if (gelf_getehdr(elf, &ehdr) == NULL) {
 		pr_err("%s: cannot get elf header.\n", __func__);
 		goto out_elf_end;