diff --git a/tools/perf/util/bpf_off_cpu.c b/tools/perf/util/bpf_off_cpu.c
index 21f4d9ba023d..6af36142dc5a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/bpf_off_cpu.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/bpf_off_cpu.c
@@ -98,22 +98,22 @@ static void off_cpu_finish(void *arg __maybe_unused)
 /* v5.18 kernel added prev_state arg, so it needs to check the signature */
 static void check_sched_switch_args(void)
 {
-	const struct btf *btf = btf__load_vmlinux_btf();
+	struct btf *btf = btf__load_vmlinux_btf();
 	const struct btf_type *t1, *t2, *t3;
 	u32 type_id;
 
 	type_id = btf__find_by_name_kind(btf, "btf_trace_sched_switch",
 					 BTF_KIND_TYPEDEF);
 	if ((s32)type_id < 0)
-		return;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	t1 = btf__type_by_id(btf, type_id);
 	if (t1 == NULL)
-		return;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	t2 = btf__type_by_id(btf, t1->type);
 	if (t2 == NULL || !btf_is_ptr(t2))
-		return;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	t3 = btf__type_by_id(btf, t2->type);
 	/* btf_trace func proto has one more argument for the context */
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ static void check_sched_switch_args(void)
 		/* new format: pass prev_state as 4th arg */
 		skel->rodata->has_prev_state = true;
 	}
+cleanup:
+	btf__free(btf);
 }
 
 int off_cpu_prepare(struct evlist *evlist, struct target *target,