diff --git a/tools/perf/util/annotate.c b/tools/perf/util/annotate.c
index 8a18347709e100ad68390291235d9d43dba12ae4..d1eece70b84d6e00c527ccd6027362517013aba8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/annotate.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/annotate.c
@@ -1126,6 +1126,7 @@ int symbol__annotate(struct symbol *sym, struct map *map, size_t privsize)
 		dso->annotate_warned = 1;
 		pr_err("Can't annotate %s:\n\n"
 		       "No vmlinux file%s\nwas found in the path.\n\n"
+		       "Note that annotation using /proc/kcore requires CAP_SYS_RAWIO capability.\n\n"
 		       "Please use:\n\n"
 		       "  perf buildid-cache -vu vmlinux\n\n"
 		       "or:\n\n"
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 725640fd7cd80b88c6f2b17ae46fc77585cc1d33..42e98ab5a9bba86a7f0d4196b75c0fcdca81004c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -1138,8 +1138,8 @@ static int dso__load_kcore(struct dso *dso, struct map *map,
 
 	fd = open(kcore_filename, O_RDONLY);
 	if (fd < 0) {
-		pr_err("%s requires CAP_SYS_RAWIO capability to access.\n",
-			kcore_filename);
+		pr_debug("Failed to open %s. Note /proc/kcore requires CAP_SYS_RAWIO capability to access.\n",
+			 kcore_filename);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}