diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 93bd2ff001fb113ff11159e419269942ac4e3743..e2c2de201eecafc5490caba7637f0eefbcbc0b46 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -697,17 +697,18 @@ static int __cmd_record(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (err < 0)
 		err = event__synthesize_kernel_mmap(process_synthesized_event,
 						    session, machine, "_stext");
-	if (err < 0) {
-		pr_err("Couldn't record kernel reference relocation symbol.\n");
-		return err;
-	}
+	if (err < 0)
+		pr_err("Couldn't record kernel reference relocation symbol\n"
+		       "Symbol resolution may be skewed if relocation was used (e.g. kexec).\n"
+		       "Check /proc/kallsyms permission or run as root.\n");
 
 	err = event__synthesize_modules(process_synthesized_event,
 					session, machine);
-	if (err < 0) {
-		pr_err("Couldn't record kernel reference relocation symbol.\n");
-		return err;
-	}
+	if (err < 0)
+		pr_err("Couldn't record kernel module information.\n"
+		       "Symbol resolution may be skewed if relocation was used (e.g. kexec).\n"
+		       "Check /proc/modules permission or run as root.\n");
+
 	if (perf_guest)
 		perf_session__process_machines(session, event__synthesize_guest_os);