diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c b/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c
index c0464dc..d4da692 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-annotate.c
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@
 	symbol_conf.priv_size = sizeof(struct annotation);
 	symbol_conf.try_vmlinux_path = true;
 
-	ret = symbol__init();
+	ret = symbol__init(&annotate.session->header.env);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto out_delete;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c
index d91bfa6..ac5838e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-buildid-cache.c
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@
 			return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (symbol__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol__init(session ? &session->header.env : NULL) < 0)
 		goto out;
 
 	setup_pager();
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-diff.c b/tools/perf/builtin-diff.c
index c10cc44..190d0b6 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-diff.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-diff.c
@@ -1143,7 +1143,7 @@
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, options, diff_usage, 0);
 
-	if (symbol__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol__init(NULL) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (data_init(argc, argv) < 0)
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-inject.c b/tools/perf/builtin-inject.c
index 18eaefd..3a62b6b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-inject.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-inject.c
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@
 	if (inject.session == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	if (symbol__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol__init(&inject.session->header.env) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	ret = __cmd_inject(&inject);
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
index 349d9b4..23762187a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kmem.c
@@ -692,7 +692,7 @@
 		usage_with_options(kmem_usage, kmem_options);
 
 	if (!strncmp(argv[0], "rec", 3)) {
-		symbol__init();
+		symbol__init(NULL);
 		return __cmd_record(argc, argv);
 	}
 
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@
 	if (session == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	symbol__init();
+	symbol__init(&session->header.env);
 
 	if (!strcmp(argv[0], "stat")) {
 		if (cpu__setup_cpunode_map())
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
index 7f2b55513..14d03ed 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-kvm.c
@@ -1064,7 +1064,7 @@
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	symbol__init();
+	symbol__init(&kvm->session->header.env);
 
 	if (!perf_session__has_traces(kvm->session, "kvm record"))
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@
 	kvm->opts.target.uid_str = NULL;
 	kvm->opts.target.uid = UINT_MAX;
 
-	symbol__init();
+	symbol__init(NULL);
 	disable_buildid_cache();
 
 	use_browser = 0;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c b/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
index d73580b..92790ed 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-lock.c
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	symbol__init();
+	symbol__init(&session->header.env);
 
 	if (!perf_session__has_traces(session, "lock record"))
 		goto out_delete;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c b/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c
index 80e57c8..8b4a87f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-mem.c
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 			goto out_delete;
 	}
 
-	if (symbol__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol__init(&session->header.env) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	printf("# PID, TID, IP, ADDR, LOCAL WEIGHT, DSRC, SYMBOL\n");
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index ca0251e..4db670d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -908,7 +908,7 @@
 		usage_with_options(record_usage, record_options);
 	}
 
-	symbol__init();
+	symbol__init(NULL);
 
 	if (symbol_conf.kptr_restrict)
 		pr_warning(
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
index 041e93d..b9e0fca 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (symbol__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol__init(&session->header.env) < 0)
 		goto error;
 
 	if (argc) {
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
index dcd9ebf5..f5874a2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-sched.c
@@ -1462,7 +1462,7 @@
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	symbol__init();
+	symbol__init(&session->header.env);
 
 	if (perf_session__set_tracepoints_handlers(session, handlers))
 		goto out_delete;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
index 9ca7a2d..37d2b60 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
@@ -1732,7 +1732,7 @@
 			goto out_delete;
 	}
 
-	if (symbol__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol__init(&session->header.env) < 0)
 		goto out_delete;
 
 	script.session = session;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
index df3b1c5..48eea6c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-timechart.c
@@ -1607,7 +1607,7 @@
 	if (session == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	symbol__init();
+	symbol__init(&session->header.env);
 
 	(void)perf_header__process_sections(&session->header,
 					    perf_data_file__fd(session->file),
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
index 0ab3ea7..4b0e15c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@
 	symbol_conf.priv_size = sizeof(struct annotation);
 
 	symbol_conf.try_vmlinux_path = (symbol_conf.vmlinux_name == NULL);
-	if (symbol__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol__init(NULL) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	sort__setup_elide(stdout);
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index 8a83bd8..d080b9c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -1411,7 +1411,7 @@
 
 static int trace__symbols_init(struct trace *trace, struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 {
-	int err = symbol__init();
+	int err = symbol__init(NULL);
 
 	if (err)
 		return err;
@@ -2245,7 +2245,7 @@
 	if (session == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	if (symbol__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol__init(&session->header.env) < 0)
 		goto out;
 
 	trace->host = &session->machines.host;
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c b/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
index 6f8b01b..c6796d2 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@
 	symbol_conf.sort_by_name = true;
 	symbol_conf.try_vmlinux_path = true;
 
-	if (symbol__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol__init(NULL) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (skip != NULL)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
index 443225c..784ea42 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 	int ret;
 
 	symbol_conf.sort_by_name = true;
-	ret = symbol__init();
+	ret = symbol__init(NULL);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		pr_debug("Failed to init symbol map.\n");
 		goto out;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 009a9d0..ac098a3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "machine.h"
 #include "symbol.h"
 #include "strlist.h"
+#include "header.h"
 
 #include <elf.h>
 #include <limits.h>
@@ -1749,10 +1750,11 @@
 	zfree(&vmlinux_path);
 }
 
-static int vmlinux_path__init(void)
+static int vmlinux_path__init(struct perf_session_env *env)
 {
 	struct utsname uts;
 	char bf[PATH_MAX];
+	char *kernel_version;
 
 	vmlinux_path = malloc(sizeof(char *) * 5);
 	if (vmlinux_path == NULL)
@@ -1767,25 +1769,31 @@
 		goto out_fail;
 	++vmlinux_path__nr_entries;
 
-	/* only try running kernel version if no symfs was given */
+	/* only try kernel version if no symfs was given */
 	if (symbol_conf.symfs[0] != 0)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (uname(&uts) < 0)
-		goto out_fail;
+	if (env) {
+		kernel_version = env->os_release;
+	} else {
+		if (uname(&uts) < 0)
+			goto out_fail;
 
-	snprintf(bf, sizeof(bf), "/boot/vmlinux-%s", uts.release);
+		kernel_version = uts.release;
+	}
+
+	snprintf(bf, sizeof(bf), "/boot/vmlinux-%s", kernel_version);
 	vmlinux_path[vmlinux_path__nr_entries] = strdup(bf);
 	if (vmlinux_path[vmlinux_path__nr_entries] == NULL)
 		goto out_fail;
 	++vmlinux_path__nr_entries;
-	snprintf(bf, sizeof(bf), "/lib/modules/%s/build/vmlinux", uts.release);
+	snprintf(bf, sizeof(bf), "/lib/modules/%s/build/vmlinux", kernel_version);
 	vmlinux_path[vmlinux_path__nr_entries] = strdup(bf);
 	if (vmlinux_path[vmlinux_path__nr_entries] == NULL)
 		goto out_fail;
 	++vmlinux_path__nr_entries;
 	snprintf(bf, sizeof(bf), "/usr/lib/debug/lib/modules/%s/vmlinux",
-		 uts.release);
+		 kernel_version);
 	vmlinux_path[vmlinux_path__nr_entries] = strdup(bf);
 	if (vmlinux_path[vmlinux_path__nr_entries] == NULL)
 		goto out_fail;
@@ -1831,7 +1839,7 @@
 	return value;
 }
 
-int symbol__init(void)
+int symbol__init(struct perf_session_env *env)
 {
 	const char *symfs;
 
@@ -1846,7 +1854,7 @@
 		symbol_conf.priv_size += (sizeof(struct symbol_name_rb_node) -
 					  sizeof(struct symbol));
 
-	if (symbol_conf.try_vmlinux_path && vmlinux_path__init() < 0)
+	if (symbol_conf.try_vmlinux_path && vmlinux_path__init(env) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (symbol_conf.field_sep && *symbol_conf.field_sep == '.') {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
index 196b291..b95e3a3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
@@ -262,7 +262,8 @@
 int filename__read_debuglink(const char *filename, char *debuglink,
 			     size_t size);
 
-int symbol__init(void);
+struct perf_session_env;
+int symbol__init(struct perf_session_env *env);
 void symbol__exit(void);
 void symbol__elf_init(void);
 struct symbol *symbol__new(u64 start, u64 len, u8 binding, const char *name);