diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-test.c b/tools/perf/builtin-test.c
index cf33e5081c36..6ae102eba5fa 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-test.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-test.c
@@ -1023,14 +1023,16 @@ static int __test__rdpmc(void)
 
 	fd = sys_perf_event_open(&attr, 0, -1, -1, 0);
 	if (fd < 0) {
-		die("Error: sys_perf_event_open() syscall returned "
-		    "with %d (%s)\n", fd, strerror(errno));
+		pr_debug("Error: sys_perf_event_open() syscall returned "
+			 "with %d (%s)\n", fd, strerror(errno));
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	addr = mmap(NULL, page_size, PROT_READ, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
 	if (addr == (void *)(-1)) {
-		die("Error: mmap() syscall returned "
-		    "with (%s)\n", strerror(errno));
+		pr_debug("Error: mmap() syscall returned with (%s)\n",
+			 strerror(errno));
+		goto out_close;
 	}
 
 	for (n = 0; n < 6; n++) {
@@ -1051,9 +1053,9 @@ static int __test__rdpmc(void)
 	}
 
 	munmap(addr, page_size);
-	close(fd);
-
 	pr_debug("   ");
+out_close:
+	close(fd);
 
 	if (!delta_sum)
 		return -1;