diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
index 57e232f13bc1..c968bd3391e0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-top.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ static void sig_winch_handler(int sig __used)
 	update_print_entries(&winsize);
 }
 
-static void parse_source(struct sym_entry *syme)
+static int parse_source(struct sym_entry *syme)
 {
 	struct symbol *sym;
 	struct sym_entry_source *source;
@@ -180,12 +180,21 @@ static void parse_source(struct sym_entry *syme)
 	u64 len;
 
 	if (!syme)
-		return;
+		return -1;
+
+	sym = sym_entry__symbol(syme);
+	map = syme->map;
+
+	/*
+	 * We can't annotate with just /proc/kallsyms
+	 */
+	if (map->dso->origin == DSO__ORIG_KERNEL)
+		return -1;
 
 	if (syme->src == NULL) {
 		syme->src = zalloc(sizeof(*source));
 		if (syme->src == NULL)
-			return;
+			return -1;
 		pthread_mutex_init(&syme->src->lock, NULL);
 	}
 
@@ -195,9 +204,6 @@ static void parse_source(struct sym_entry *syme)
 		pthread_mutex_lock(&source->lock);
 		goto out_assign;
 	}
-
-	sym = sym_entry__symbol(syme);
-	map = syme->map;
 	path = map->dso->long_name;
 
 	len = sym->end - sym->start;
@@ -209,7 +215,7 @@ static void parse_source(struct sym_entry *syme)
 
 	file = popen(command, "r");
 	if (!file)
-		return;
+		return -1;
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&source->lock);
 	source->lines_tail = &source->lines;
@@ -245,6 +251,7 @@ static void parse_source(struct sym_entry *syme)
 out_assign:
 	sym_filter_entry = syme;
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&source->lock);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void __zero_source_counters(struct sym_entry *syme)
@@ -991,7 +998,17 @@ static void event__process_sample(const event_t *self,
 	if (sym_filter_entry_sched) {
 		sym_filter_entry = sym_filter_entry_sched;
 		sym_filter_entry_sched = NULL;
-		parse_source(sym_filter_entry);
+		if (parse_source(sym_filter_entry) < 0) {
+			struct symbol *sym = sym_entry__symbol(sym_filter_entry);
+
+			pr_err("Can't annotate %s", sym->name);
+			if (sym_filter_entry->map->dso->origin == DSO__ORIG_KERNEL) {
+				pr_err(": No vmlinux file was found in the path:\n");
+				vmlinux_path__fprintf(stderr);
+			} else
+				pr_err(".\n");
+			exit(1);
+		}
 	}
 
 	syme = symbol__priv(al.sym);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 75cd46807c70..292f941555a8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -18,18 +18,6 @@
 #define NT_GNU_BUILD_ID 3
 #endif
 
-enum dso_origin {
-	DSO__ORIG_KERNEL = 0,
-	DSO__ORIG_JAVA_JIT,
-	DSO__ORIG_BUILD_ID_CACHE,
-	DSO__ORIG_FEDORA,
-	DSO__ORIG_UBUNTU,
-	DSO__ORIG_BUILDID,
-	DSO__ORIG_DSO,
-	DSO__ORIG_KMODULE,
-	DSO__ORIG_NOT_FOUND,
-};
-
 static void dsos__add(struct list_head *head, struct dso *dso);
 static struct map *map__new2(u64 start, struct dso *dso, enum map_type type);
 static int dso__load_kernel_sym(struct dso *self, struct map *map,
@@ -1017,7 +1005,7 @@ static int dso__load_sym(struct dso *self, struct map *map, const char *name,
 				}
 				curr_map->map_ip = identity__map_ip;
 				curr_map->unmap_ip = identity__map_ip;
-				curr_dso->origin = DSO__ORIG_KERNEL;
+				curr_dso->origin = self->origin;
 				map_groups__insert(kmap->kmaps, curr_map);
 				dsos__add(&dsos__kernel, curr_dso);
 				dso__set_loaded(curr_dso, map->type);
@@ -1887,6 +1875,17 @@ out_fail:
 	return -1;
 }
 
+size_t vmlinux_path__fprintf(FILE *fp)
+{
+	int i;
+	size_t printed = 0;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < vmlinux_path__nr_entries; ++i)
+		printed += fprintf(fp, "[%d] %s\n", i, vmlinux_path[i]);
+
+	return printed;
+}
+
 static int setup_list(struct strlist **list, const char *list_str,
 		      const char *list_name)
 {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
index 280dadd32a08..d983bbaf99c5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
@@ -149,6 +149,19 @@ size_t dsos__fprintf_buildid(FILE *fp, bool with_hits);
 
 size_t dso__fprintf_buildid(struct dso *self, FILE *fp);
 size_t dso__fprintf(struct dso *self, enum map_type type, FILE *fp);
+
+enum dso_origin {
+	DSO__ORIG_KERNEL = 0,
+	DSO__ORIG_JAVA_JIT,
+	DSO__ORIG_BUILD_ID_CACHE,
+	DSO__ORIG_FEDORA,
+	DSO__ORIG_UBUNTU,
+	DSO__ORIG_BUILDID,
+	DSO__ORIG_DSO,
+	DSO__ORIG_KMODULE,
+	DSO__ORIG_NOT_FOUND,
+};
+
 char dso__symtab_origin(const struct dso *self);
 void dso__set_long_name(struct dso *self, char *name);
 void dso__set_build_id(struct dso *self, void *build_id);
@@ -168,4 +181,6 @@ int kallsyms__parse(const char *filename, void *arg,
 int symbol__init(void);
 bool symbol_type__is_a(char symbol_type, enum map_type map_type);
 
+size_t vmlinux_path__fprintf(FILE *fp);
+
 #endif /* __PERF_SYMBOL */