diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
index 33eefc33e0ea9fc49a7d9b1568c3853a29653f9e..5c29fd0feab37b452df791ea4df859e911eeef4d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
@@ -1073,23 +1073,19 @@ static int __cmd_top(struct perf_top *top)
 	pthread_t thread;
 	int ret;
 
-	top->session = perf_session__new(NULL, false, NULL);
-	if (top->session == NULL)
-		return -1;
-
 	if (!top->annotation_opts.objdump_path) {
 		ret = perf_env__lookup_objdump(&top->session->header.env,
 					       &top->annotation_opts.objdump_path);
 		if (ret)
-			goto out_delete;
+			return ret;
 	}
 
 	ret = callchain_param__setup_sample_type(&callchain_param);
 	if (ret)
-		goto out_delete;
+		return ret;
 
 	if (perf_session__register_idle_thread(top->session) < 0)
-		goto out_delete;
+		return ret;
 
 	if (top->nr_threads_synthesize > 1)
 		perf_set_multithreaded();
@@ -1104,20 +1100,25 @@ static int __cmd_top(struct perf_top *top)
 
 	if (perf_hpp_list.socket) {
 		ret = perf_env__read_cpu_topology_map(&perf_env);
-		if (ret < 0)
-			goto out_err_cpu_topo;
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			char errbuf[BUFSIZ];
+			const char *err = str_error_r(-ret, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf));
+
+			ui__error("Could not read the CPU topology map: %s\n", err);
+			return ret;
+		}
 	}
 
 	ret = perf_top__start_counters(top);
 	if (ret)
-		goto out_delete;
+		return ret;
 
 	ret = perf_evlist__apply_drv_configs(evlist, &pos, &err_term);
 	if (ret) {
 		pr_err("failed to set config \"%s\" on event %s with %d (%s)\n",
 			err_term->val.drv_cfg, perf_evsel__name(pos), errno,
 			str_error_r(errno, msg, sizeof(msg)));
-		goto out_delete;
+		return ret;
 	}
 
 	top->session->evlist = top->evlist;
@@ -1143,7 +1144,7 @@ static int __cmd_top(struct perf_top *top)
 	if (pthread_create(&thread, NULL, (use_browser > 0 ? display_thread_tui :
 							    display_thread), top)) {
 		ui__error("Could not create display thread.\n");
-		goto out_delete;
+		return ret;
 	}
 
 	if (top->realtime_prio) {
@@ -1173,19 +1174,7 @@ static int __cmd_top(struct perf_top *top)
 	ret = 0;
 out_join:
 	pthread_join(thread, NULL);
-out_delete:
-	perf_session__delete(top->session);
-	top->session = NULL;
-
 	return ret;
-
-out_err_cpu_topo: {
-	char errbuf[BUFSIZ];
-	const char *err = str_error_r(-ret, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf));
-
-	ui__error("Could not read the CPU topology map: %s\n", err);
-	goto out_delete;
-}
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1503,10 +1492,17 @@ int cmd_top(int argc, const char **argv)
 		signal(SIGWINCH, winch_sig);
 	}
 
+	top.session = perf_session__new(NULL, false, NULL);
+	if (top.session == NULL) {
+		status = -1;
+		goto out_delete_evlist;
+	}
+
 	status = __cmd_top(&top);
 
 out_delete_evlist:
 	perf_evlist__delete(top.evlist);
+	perf_session__delete(top.session);
 
 	return status;
 }