diff --git a/tools/perf/util/thread.c b/tools/perf/util/thread.c
index 50678d318185..403045a2bbea 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/thread.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/thread.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "map.h"
 #include "symbol.h"
 #include "unwind.h"
+#include "callchain.h"
 
 #include <api/fs/fs.h>
 
@@ -327,7 +328,7 @@ static int thread__prepare_access(struct thread *thread)
 {
 	int err = 0;
 
-	if (symbol_conf.use_callchain)
+	if (dwarf_callchain_users)
 		err = __thread__prepare_access(thread);
 
 	return err;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c
index f3c666a84e4d..25e1406b1f8b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c
@@ -617,8 +617,6 @@ static unw_accessors_t accessors = {
 
 static int _unwind__prepare_access(struct thread *thread)
 {
-	if (!dwarf_callchain_users)
-		return 0;
 	thread->addr_space = unw_create_addr_space(&accessors, 0);
 	if (!thread->addr_space) {
 		pr_err("unwind: Can't create unwind address space.\n");
@@ -631,15 +629,11 @@ static int _unwind__prepare_access(struct thread *thread)
 
 static void _unwind__flush_access(struct thread *thread)
 {
-	if (!dwarf_callchain_users)
-		return;
 	unw_flush_cache(thread->addr_space, 0, 0);
 }
 
 static void _unwind__finish_access(struct thread *thread)
 {
-	if (!dwarf_callchain_users)
-		return;
 	unw_destroy_addr_space(thread->addr_space);
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind.c b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind.c
index 9778b3133b77..c0811977d7d5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "session.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "env.h"
+#include "callchain.h"
 
 struct unwind_libunwind_ops __weak *local_unwind_libunwind_ops;
 struct unwind_libunwind_ops __weak *x86_32_unwind_libunwind_ops;
@@ -24,6 +25,9 @@ int unwind__prepare_access(struct thread *thread, struct map *map,
 	struct unwind_libunwind_ops *ops = local_unwind_libunwind_ops;
 	int err;
 
+	if (!dwarf_callchain_users)
+		return 0;
+
 	if (thread->addr_space) {
 		pr_debug("unwind: thread map already set, dso=%s\n",
 			 map->dso->name);
@@ -65,12 +69,18 @@ out_register:
 
 void unwind__flush_access(struct thread *thread)
 {
+	if (!dwarf_callchain_users)
+		return;
+
 	if (thread->unwind_libunwind_ops)
 		thread->unwind_libunwind_ops->flush_access(thread);
 }
 
 void unwind__finish_access(struct thread *thread)
 {
+	if (!dwarf_callchain_users)
+		return;
+
 	if (thread->unwind_libunwind_ops)
 		thread->unwind_libunwind_ops->finish_access(thread);
 }