diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index 5091a27e6d28..582c4da155ea 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -200,6 +200,17 @@ static int process_buildids(struct record *rec)
 	if (size == 0)
 		return 0;
 
+	/*
+	 * During this process, it'll load kernel map and replace the
+	 * dso->long_name to a real pathname it found.  In this case
+	 * we prefer the vmlinux path like
+	 *   /lib/modules/3.16.4/build/vmlinux
+	 *
+	 * rather than build-id path (in debug directory).
+	 *   $HOME/.debug/.build-id/f0/6e17aa50adf4d00b88925e03775de107611551
+	 */
+	symbol_conf.ignore_vmlinux_buildid = true;
+
 	return __perf_session__process_events(session, start,
 					      size - start,
 					      size, &build_id__mark_dso_hit_ops);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index c69915c9d5bc..c24c5b83156c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -1511,12 +1511,10 @@ int dso__load_vmlinux_path(struct dso *dso, struct map *map,
 			   symbol_filter_t filter)
 {
 	int i, err = 0;
-	char *filename;
+	char *filename = NULL;
 
-	pr_debug("Looking at the vmlinux_path (%d entries long)\n",
-		 vmlinux_path__nr_entries + 1);
-
-	filename = dso__build_id_filename(dso, NULL, 0);
+	if (!symbol_conf.ignore_vmlinux_buildid)
+		filename = dso__build_id_filename(dso, NULL, 0);
 	if (filename != NULL) {
 		err = dso__load_vmlinux(dso, map, filename, true, filter);
 		if (err > 0)
@@ -1524,6 +1522,9 @@ int dso__load_vmlinux_path(struct dso *dso, struct map *map,
 		free(filename);
 	}
 
+	pr_debug("Looking at the vmlinux_path (%d entries long)\n",
+		 vmlinux_path__nr_entries + 1);
+
 	for (i = 0; i < vmlinux_path__nr_entries; ++i) {
 		err = dso__load_vmlinux(dso, map, vmlinux_path[i], false, filter);
 		if (err > 0)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
index eb2c19bf8d90..ded3ca7266de 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ struct symbol_conf {
 	unsigned short	nr_events;
 	bool		try_vmlinux_path,
 			ignore_vmlinux,
+			ignore_vmlinux_buildid,
 			show_kernel_path,
 			use_modules,
 			sort_by_name,