diff --git a/tools/perf/util/dso.c b/tools/perf/util/dso.c
index 13d9ae0bd15c..482d6024ef13 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/dso.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/dso.c
@@ -936,6 +936,7 @@ struct dso *dso__new(const char *name)
 		RB_CLEAR_NODE(&dso->rb_node);
 		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&dso->node);
 		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&dso->data.open_entry);
+		pthread_mutex_init(&dso->lock, NULL);
 	}
 
 	return dso;
@@ -966,6 +967,7 @@ void dso__delete(struct dso *dso)
 	dso_cache__free(&dso->data.cache);
 	dso__free_a2l(dso);
 	zfree(&dso->symsrc_filename);
+	pthread_mutex_destroy(&dso->lock);
 	free(dso);
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/dso.h b/tools/perf/util/dso.h
index 3d79c749934c..b26ec3ab1336 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/dso.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/dso.h
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ struct dsos {
 struct auxtrace_cache;
 
 struct dso {
+	pthread_mutex_t	 lock;
 	struct list_head node;
 	struct rb_node	 rb_node;	/* rbtree node sorted by long name */
 	struct rb_root	 symbols[MAP__NR_TYPES];
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 45ba48a7acb3..9ef8b8946b11 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -1383,12 +1383,22 @@ int dso__load(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, symbol_filter_t filter)
 	struct symsrc *syms_ss = NULL, *runtime_ss = NULL;
 	bool kmod;
 
-	dso__set_loaded(dso, map->type);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&dso->lock);
 
-	if (dso->kernel == DSO_TYPE_KERNEL)
-		return dso__load_kernel_sym(dso, map, filter);
-	else if (dso->kernel == DSO_TYPE_GUEST_KERNEL)
-		return dso__load_guest_kernel_sym(dso, map, filter);
+	/* check again under the dso->lock */
+	if (dso__loaded(dso, map->type)) {
+		ret = 1;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (dso->kernel) {
+		if (dso->kernel == DSO_TYPE_KERNEL)
+			ret = dso__load_kernel_sym(dso, map, filter);
+		else if (dso->kernel == DSO_TYPE_GUEST_KERNEL)
+			ret = dso__load_guest_kernel_sym(dso, map, filter);
+
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	if (map->groups && map->groups->machine)
 		machine = map->groups->machine;
@@ -1401,18 +1411,18 @@ int dso__load(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, symbol_filter_t filter)
 		struct stat st;
 
 		if (lstat(dso->name, &st) < 0)
-			return -1;
+			goto out;
 
 		if (st.st_uid && (st.st_uid != geteuid())) {
 			pr_warning("File %s not owned by current user or root, "
 				"ignoring it.\n", dso->name);
-			return -1;
+			goto out;
 		}
 
 		ret = dso__load_perf_map(dso, map, filter);
 		dso->symtab_type = ret > 0 ? DSO_BINARY_TYPE__JAVA_JIT :
 					     DSO_BINARY_TYPE__NOT_FOUND;
-		return ret;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (machine)
@@ -1420,7 +1430,7 @@ int dso__load(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, symbol_filter_t filter)
 
 	name = malloc(PATH_MAX);
 	if (!name)
-		return -1;
+		goto out;
 
 	kmod = dso->symtab_type == DSO_BINARY_TYPE__SYSTEM_PATH_KMODULE ||
 		dso->symtab_type == DSO_BINARY_TYPE__SYSTEM_PATH_KMODULE_COMP ||
@@ -1501,7 +1511,11 @@ int dso__load(struct dso *dso, struct map *map, symbol_filter_t filter)
 out_free:
 	free(name);
 	if (ret < 0 && strstr(dso->name, " (deleted)") != NULL)
-		return 0;
+		ret = 0;
+out:
+	dso__set_loaded(dso, map->type);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&dso->lock);
+
 	return ret;
 }