diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 1a367734e016..b2f5ae97f33d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -2268,6 +2268,9 @@ static int setup_list(struct strlist **list, const char *list_str,
 
 int symbol__init(void)
 {
+	if (symbol_conf.initialized)
+		return 0;
+
 	elf_version(EV_CURRENT);
 	if (symbol_conf.sort_by_name)
 		symbol_conf.priv_size += (sizeof(struct symbol_name_rb_node) -
@@ -2293,6 +2296,7 @@ int symbol__init(void)
 		       symbol_conf.sym_list_str, "symbol") < 0)
 		goto out_free_comm_list;
 
+	symbol_conf.initialized = true;
 	return 0;
 
 out_free_dso_list:
@@ -2304,11 +2308,14 @@ int symbol__init(void)
 
 void symbol__exit(void)
 {
+	if (!symbol_conf.initialized)
+		return;
 	strlist__delete(symbol_conf.sym_list);
 	strlist__delete(symbol_conf.dso_list);
 	strlist__delete(symbol_conf.comm_list);
 	vmlinux_path__exit();
 	symbol_conf.sym_list = symbol_conf.dso_list = symbol_conf.comm_list = NULL;
+	symbol_conf.initialized = false;
 }
 
 int machines__create_kernel_maps(struct rb_root *self, pid_t pid)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
index b7a8da4af5a0..ea95c2756f05 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ struct symbol_conf {
 			show_nr_samples,
 			use_callchain,
 			exclude_other,
-			show_cpu_utilization;
+			show_cpu_utilization,
+			initialized;
 	const char	*vmlinux_name,
 			*source_prefix,
 			*field_sep;