diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index cc065d4bfafcff9704aecb96b8af462cf7182778..e366e3060e6b96924b4f87e78f9dbcc3f1c1d313 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -1582,7 +1582,7 @@ int dso__load(struct dso *dso, struct map *map)
 		bool next_slot = false;
 		bool is_reg;
 		bool nsexit;
-		int sirc;
+		int sirc = -1;
 
 		enum dso_binary_type symtab_type = binary_type_symtab[i];
 
@@ -1600,16 +1600,14 @@ int dso__load(struct dso *dso, struct map *map)
 			nsinfo__mountns_exit(&nsc);
 
 		is_reg = is_regular_file(name);
-		sirc = symsrc__init(ss, dso, name, symtab_type);
+		if (is_reg)
+			sirc = symsrc__init(ss, dso, name, symtab_type);
 
 		if (nsexit)
 			nsinfo__mountns_enter(dso->nsinfo, &nsc);
 
-		if (!is_reg || sirc < 0) {
-			if (sirc >= 0)
-				symsrc__destroy(ss);
+		if (!is_reg || sirc < 0)
 			continue;
-		}
 
 		if (!syms_ss && symsrc__has_symtab(ss)) {
 			syms_ss = ss;