diff --git a/tools/perf/util/build-id.c b/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
index 4a391f13f40d..1fd58703c2d4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/build-id.c
@@ -261,10 +261,9 @@ static const char *build_id_cache__basename(bool is_kallsyms, bool is_vdso,
 	    "debug" : "elf"));
 }
 
-char *dso__build_id_filename(const struct dso *dso, char *bf, size_t size,
-			     bool is_debug)
+char *__dso__build_id_filename(const struct dso *dso, char *bf, size_t size,
+			       bool is_debug, bool is_kallsyms)
 {
-	bool is_kallsyms = dso__is_kallsyms((struct dso *)dso);
 	bool is_vdso = dso__is_vdso((struct dso *)dso);
 	char sbuild_id[SBUILD_ID_SIZE];
 	char *linkname;
@@ -293,6 +292,14 @@ char *dso__build_id_filename(const struct dso *dso, char *bf, size_t size,
 	return bf;
 }
 
+char *dso__build_id_filename(const struct dso *dso, char *bf, size_t size,
+			     bool is_debug)
+{
+	bool is_kallsyms = dso__is_kallsyms((struct dso *)dso);
+
+	return __dso__build_id_filename(dso, bf, size, is_debug, is_kallsyms);
+}
+
 #define dsos__for_each_with_build_id(pos, head)	\
 	list_for_each_entry(pos, head, node)	\
 		if (!pos->has_build_id)		\
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/build-id.h b/tools/perf/util/build-id.h
index d53415feaf69..f1a2f67df6e4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/build-id.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/build-id.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ char *build_id_cache__kallsyms_path(const char *sbuild_id, char *bf,
 
 char *dso__build_id_filename(const struct dso *dso, char *bf, size_t size,
 			     bool is_debug);
+char *__dso__build_id_filename(const struct dso *dso, char *bf, size_t size,
+			       bool is_debug, bool is_kallsyms);
 
 int build_id__mark_dso_hit(struct perf_tool *tool, union perf_event *event,
 			   struct perf_sample *sample, struct evsel *evsel,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index 0d14abdf3d72..64a039cbba1b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -2189,6 +2189,8 @@ static int dso__load_kernel_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map)
 	int err;
 	const char *kallsyms_filename = NULL;
 	char *kallsyms_allocated_filename = NULL;
+	char *filename = NULL;
+
 	/*
 	 * Step 1: if the user specified a kallsyms or vmlinux filename, use
 	 * it and only it, reporting errors to the user if it cannot be used.
@@ -2213,6 +2215,20 @@ static int dso__load_kernel_sym(struct dso *dso, struct map *map)
 		return dso__load_vmlinux(dso, map, symbol_conf.vmlinux_name, false);
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Before checking on common vmlinux locations, check if it's
+	 * stored as standard build id binary (not kallsyms) under
+	 * .debug cache.
+	 */
+	if (!symbol_conf.ignore_vmlinux_buildid)
+		filename = __dso__build_id_filename(dso, NULL, 0, false, false);
+	if (filename != NULL) {
+		err = dso__load_vmlinux(dso, map, filename, true);
+		if (err > 0)
+			return err;
+		free(filename);
+	}
+
 	if (!symbol_conf.ignore_vmlinux && vmlinux_path != NULL) {
 		err = dso__load_vmlinux_path(dso, map);
 		if (err > 0)