diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol-elf.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol-elf.c
index a9a194d49c1b5f7b9b89752bda997c9c36ae72f2..6974b2a44ee7bad3d488983a935d248ee122da86 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol-elf.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol-elf.c
@@ -536,24 +536,25 @@ static int dso__swap_init(struct dso *dso, unsigned char eidata)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int dso__load_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, const char *name, int fd,
-		  symbol_filter_t filter, int kmodule, int want_symtab)
+
+void symsrc__destroy(struct symsrc *ss)
+{
+	free(ss->name);
+	elf_end(ss->elf);
+	close(ss->fd);
+}
+
+int symsrc__init(struct symsrc *ss, struct dso *dso, const char *name,
+		 enum dso_binary_type type)
 {
-	struct kmap *kmap = dso->kernel ? map__kmap(map) : NULL;
-	struct map *curr_map = map;
-	struct dso *curr_dso = dso;
-	Elf_Data *symstrs, *secstrs;
-	uint32_t nr_syms;
 	int err = -1;
-	uint32_t idx;
 	GElf_Ehdr ehdr;
-	GElf_Shdr shdr, opdshdr;
-	Elf_Data *syms, *opddata = NULL;
-	GElf_Sym sym;
-	Elf_Scn *sec, *sec_strndx, *opdsec;
 	Elf *elf;
-	int nr = 0;
-	size_t opdidx = 0;
+	int fd;
+
+	fd = open(name, O_RDONLY);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		return -1;
 
 	elf = elf_begin(fd, PERF_ELF_C_READ_MMAP, NULL);
 	if (elf == NULL) {
@@ -580,19 +581,88 @@ int dso__load_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, const char *name, int fd,
 			goto out_elf_end;
 	}
 
-	sec = elf_section_by_name(elf, &ehdr, &shdr, ".symtab", NULL);
+	ss->symtab = elf_section_by_name(elf, &ehdr, &ss->symshdr, ".symtab",
+			NULL);
+	if (ss->symshdr.sh_type != SHT_SYMTAB)
+		ss->symtab = NULL;
+
+	ss->dynsym_idx = 0;
+	ss->dynsym = elf_section_by_name(elf, &ehdr, &ss->dynshdr, ".dynsym",
+			&ss->dynsym_idx);
+	if (ss->dynshdr.sh_type != SHT_DYNSYM)
+		ss->dynsym = NULL;
+
+	ss->opdidx = 0;
+	ss->opdsec = elf_section_by_name(elf, &ehdr, &ss->opdshdr, ".opd",
+			&ss->opdidx);
+	if (ss->opdshdr.sh_type != SHT_PROGBITS)
+		ss->opdsec = NULL;
+
+	if (dso->kernel == DSO_TYPE_USER) {
+		GElf_Shdr shdr;
+		ss->adjust_symbols = (ehdr.e_type == ET_EXEC ||
+				elf_section_by_name(elf, &ehdr, &shdr,
+						     ".gnu.prelink_undo",
+						     NULL) != NULL);
+	} else {
+		ss->adjust_symbols = 0;
+	}
+
+	ss->name   = strdup(name);
+	if (!ss->name)
+		goto out_elf_end;
+
+	ss->elf    = elf;
+	ss->fd     = fd;
+	ss->ehdr   = ehdr;
+	ss->type   = type;
+
+	return 0;
+
+out_elf_end:
+	elf_end(elf);
+out_close:
+	close(fd);
+	return err;
+}
+
+int dso__load_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, struct symsrc *ss,
+		  symbol_filter_t filter, int kmodule, int want_symtab)
+{
+	struct kmap *kmap = dso->kernel ? map__kmap(map) : NULL;
+	struct map *curr_map = map;
+	struct dso *curr_dso = dso;
+	Elf_Data *symstrs, *secstrs;
+	uint32_t nr_syms;
+	int err = -1;
+	uint32_t idx;
+	GElf_Ehdr ehdr;
+	GElf_Shdr shdr, opdshdr;
+	Elf_Data *syms, *opddata = NULL;
+	GElf_Sym sym;
+	Elf_Scn *sec, *sec_strndx, *opdsec;
+	Elf *elf;
+	int nr = 0;
+	size_t opdidx = 0;
+
+	elf = ss->elf;
+	ehdr = ss->ehdr;
+	sec = ss->symtab;
+	shdr = ss->symshdr;
+
 	if (sec == NULL) {
 		if (want_symtab)
 			goto out_elf_end;
 
-		sec = elf_section_by_name(elf, &ehdr, &shdr, ".dynsym", NULL);
+		sec  = ss->dynsym;
+		shdr = ss->dynshdr;
 		if (sec == NULL)
 			goto out_elf_end;
 	}
 
-	opdsec = elf_section_by_name(elf, &ehdr, &opdshdr, ".opd", &opdidx);
-	if (opdshdr.sh_type != SHT_PROGBITS)
-		opdsec = NULL;
+	opdsec = ss->opdsec;
+	opdshdr = ss->opdshdr;
+	opdidx  = ss->opdidx;
 	if (opdsec)
 		opddata = elf_rawdata(opdsec, NULL);
 
@@ -619,14 +689,7 @@ int dso__load_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, const char *name, int fd,
 	nr_syms = shdr.sh_size / shdr.sh_entsize;
 
 	memset(&sym, 0, sizeof(sym));
-	if (dso->kernel == DSO_TYPE_USER) {
-		dso->adjust_symbols = (ehdr.e_type == ET_EXEC ||
-				elf_section_by_name(elf, &ehdr, &shdr,
-						     ".gnu.prelink_undo",
-						     NULL) != NULL);
-	} else {
-		dso->adjust_symbols = 0;
-	}
+	dso->adjust_symbols = ss->adjust_symbols;
 	elf_symtab__for_each_symbol(syms, nr_syms, idx, sym) {
 		struct symbol *f;
 		const char *elf_name = elf_sym__name(&sym, symstrs);
@@ -770,8 +833,6 @@ int dso__load_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, const char *name, int fd,
 	}
 	err = nr;
 out_elf_end:
-	elf_end(elf);
-out_close:
 	return err;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol-minimal.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol-minimal.c
index bd8720b6780c4f3aae68fc2d1ead38c71addfd19..1b16c2729a3629f8972ba61d5a8522641173188e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol-minimal.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol-minimal.c
@@ -241,6 +241,31 @@ int sysfs__read_build_id(const char *filename, void *build_id, size_t size)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int symsrc__init(struct symsrc *ss, struct dso *dso __used, const char *name,
+	         enum dso_binary_type type)
+{
+	int fd = open(name, O_RDONLY);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	ss->name = strdup(name);
+	if (!ss->name)
+		goto out_close;
+
+	ss->type = type;
+
+	return 0;
+out_close:
+	close(fd);
+	return -1;
+}
+
+void symsrc__destroy(struct symsrc *ss)
+{
+	free(ss->name);
+	close(ss->fd);
+}
+
 int dso__synthesize_plt_symbols(struct dso *dso __used, char *name __used,
 				struct map *map __used,
 				symbol_filter_t filter __used)
@@ -248,14 +273,13 @@ int dso__synthesize_plt_symbols(struct dso *dso __used, char *name __used,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int dso__load_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map __used,
-		  const char *name, int fd __used,
+int dso__load_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map __used, struct symsrc *ss,
 		  symbol_filter_t filter __used, int kmodule __used,
 		  int want_symtab __used)
 {
 	unsigned char *build_id[BUILD_ID_SIZE];
 
-	if (filename__read_build_id(name, build_id, BUILD_ID_SIZE) > 0) {
+	if (filename__read_build_id(ss->name, build_id, BUILD_ID_SIZE) > 0) {
 		dso__set_build_id(dso, build_id);
 		return 1;
 	}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 8f5cabbfc8bdcaec05f005fa0d282b0aae61e45e..afec3f048a940c54f202e5631ecf241da7e603f6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ int dso__load(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, symbol_filter_t filter)
 {
 	char *name;
 	int ret = -1;
-	int fd;
+	struct symsrc ss;
 	u_int i;
 	struct machine *machine;
 	char *root_dir = (char *) "";
@@ -1086,13 +1086,12 @@ int dso__load(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, symbol_filter_t filter)
 			continue;
 
 		/* Name is now the name of the next image to try */
-		fd = open(name, O_RDONLY);
-		if (fd < 0)
+		if (symsrc__init(&ss, dso, name, dso->symtab_type) < 0)
 			continue;
 
-		ret = dso__load_sym(dso, map, name, fd, filter, 0,
+		ret = dso__load_sym(dso, map, &ss, filter, 0,
 				    want_symtab);
-		close(fd);
+		symsrc__destroy(&ss);
 
 		/*
 		 * Some people seem to have debuginfo files _WITHOUT_ debug
@@ -1359,22 +1358,23 @@ static int machine__create_modules(struct machine *machine)
 int dso__load_vmlinux(struct dso *dso, struct map *map,
 		      const char *vmlinux, symbol_filter_t filter)
 {
-	int err = -1, fd;
+	int err = -1;
+	struct symsrc ss;
 	char symfs_vmlinux[PATH_MAX];
 
 	snprintf(symfs_vmlinux, sizeof(symfs_vmlinux), "%s%s",
 		 symbol_conf.symfs, vmlinux);
-	fd = open(symfs_vmlinux, O_RDONLY);
-	if (fd < 0)
-		return -1;
 
 	if (dso->kernel == DSO_TYPE_GUEST_KERNEL)
 		dso->symtab_type = DSO_BINARY_TYPE__GUEST_VMLINUX;
 	else
 		dso->symtab_type = DSO_BINARY_TYPE__VMLINUX;
 
-	err = dso__load_sym(dso, map, symfs_vmlinux, fd, filter, 0, 0);
-	close(fd);
+	if (symsrc__init(&ss, dso, symfs_vmlinux, dso->symtab_type))
+		return -1;
+
+	err = dso__load_sym(dso, map, &ss, filter, 0, 0);
+	symsrc__destroy(&ss);
 
 	if (err > 0) {
 		dso__set_long_name(dso, (char *)vmlinux);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
index 37f1ea146c16cea14235c1280e303e7670640868..dd9e8678b355673db06025a671b91cf92e6d3ff5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <byteswap.h>
 
+#ifndef NO_LIBELF_SUPPORT
+#include <libelf.h>
+#include <gelf.h>
+#include <elf.h>
+#endif
+
 #ifdef HAVE_CPLUS_DEMANGLE
 extern char *cplus_demangle(const char *, int);
 
@@ -219,6 +225,34 @@ struct dso {
 	char		 name[0];
 };
 
+struct symsrc {
+	char *name;
+	int fd;
+	enum dso_binary_type type;
+
+#ifndef NO_LIBELF_SUPPORT
+	Elf *elf;
+	GElf_Ehdr ehdr;
+
+	Elf_Scn *opdsec;
+	size_t opdidx;
+	GElf_Shdr opdshdr;
+
+	Elf_Scn *symtab;
+	GElf_Shdr symshdr;
+
+	Elf_Scn *dynsym;
+	size_t dynsym_idx;
+	GElf_Shdr dynshdr;
+
+	bool adjust_symbols;
+#endif
+};
+
+void symsrc__destroy(struct symsrc *ss);
+int symsrc__init(struct symsrc *ss, struct dso *dso, const char *name,
+		 enum dso_binary_type type);
+
 #define DSO__SWAP(dso, type, val)			\
 ({							\
 	type ____r = val;				\
@@ -334,7 +368,7 @@ ssize_t dso__data_read_addr(struct dso *dso, struct map *map,
 			    struct machine *machine, u64 addr,
 			    u8 *data, ssize_t size);
 int dso__test_data(void);
-int dso__load_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, const char *name, int fd,
+int dso__load_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, struct symsrc *ss,
 		  symbol_filter_t filter, int kmodule, int want_symtab);
 int dso__synthesize_plt_symbols(struct dso *dso, char *name, struct map *map,
 				symbol_filter_t filter);