diff --git a/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/event.c b/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/event.c
index 047dc00eafa6ec099fda74e794ebcd378525ef2b..2db1ac8e7a90cbea1220df769761f490fe76039f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/arch/x86/util/event.c
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ int perf_event__synthesize_extra_kmaps(struct perf_tool *tool,
 {
 	int rc = 0;
 	struct map *pos;
-	struct maps *kmaps = &machine->kmaps;
+	struct maps *kmaps = machine__kernel_maps(machine);
 	union perf_event *event = zalloc(sizeof(event->mmap) +
 					 machine->id_hdr_size);
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/vmlinux-kallsyms.c b/tools/perf/tests/vmlinux-kallsyms.c
index 193b7c91b4e23d17d8f8bc1939c343ecb2017cfb..f1789503c5c2a890f7c245c52f27a038e0221bfc 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/vmlinux-kallsyms.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/vmlinux-kallsyms.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ int test__vmlinux_matches_kallsyms(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest
 	struct symbol *sym;
 	struct map *kallsyms_map, *vmlinux_map, *map;
 	struct machine kallsyms, vmlinux;
-	struct maps *maps = machine__kernel_maps(&vmlinux);
+	struct maps *maps;
 	u64 mem_start, mem_end;
 	bool header_printed;
 
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ int test__vmlinux_matches_kallsyms(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest
 	machine__init(&kallsyms, "", HOST_KERNEL_ID);
 	machine__init(&vmlinux, "", HOST_KERNEL_ID);
 
+	maps = machine__kernel_maps(&vmlinux);
+
 	/*
 	 * Step 2:
 	 *
@@ -190,7 +192,7 @@ int test__vmlinux_matches_kallsyms(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest
 		 * so use the short name, less descriptive but the same ("[kernel]" in
 		 * both cases.
 		 */
-		pair = maps__find_by_name(&kallsyms.kmaps, (map->dso->kernel ?
+		pair = maps__find_by_name(kallsyms.kmaps, (map->dso->kernel ?
 								map->dso->short_name :
 								map->dso->name));
 		if (pair) {
@@ -212,7 +214,7 @@ int test__vmlinux_matches_kallsyms(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest
 		mem_start = vmlinux_map->unmap_ip(vmlinux_map, map->start);
 		mem_end = vmlinux_map->unmap_ip(vmlinux_map, map->end);
 
-		pair = maps__find(&kallsyms.kmaps, mem_start);
+		pair = maps__find(kallsyms.kmaps, mem_start);
 		if (pair == NULL || pair->priv)
 			continue;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/bpf-event.c b/tools/perf/util/bpf-event.c
index c50d2c7a264fe3083cd4eec4015900e0f3839bd5..277003d901aa55cfbea685a12c6c845fa1a44c6d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/bpf-event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/bpf-event.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static int machine__process_bpf_event_load(struct machine *machine,
 	for (i = 0; i < info_linear->info.nr_jited_ksyms; i++) {
 		u64 *addrs = (u64 *)(uintptr_t)(info_linear->info.jited_ksyms);
 		u64 addr = addrs[i];
-		struct map *map = maps__find(&machine->kmaps, addr);
+		struct map *map = maps__find(machine__kernel_maps(machine), addr);
 
 		if (map) {
 			map->dso->binary_type = DSO_BINARY_TYPE__BPF_PROG_INFO;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/callchain.c b/tools/perf/util/callchain.c
index 1b60985690bba31333e99e0892cc40c31f0592cd..0bf703650d0270f0737474f13d01c62b30baa73d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/callchain.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/callchain.c
@@ -1119,7 +1119,7 @@ int fill_callchain_info(struct addr_location *al, struct callchain_cursor_node *
 			goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (al->maps == &al->maps->machine->kmaps) {
+	if (al->maps == machine__kernel_maps(al->maps->machine)) {
 		if (machine__is_host(al->maps->machine)) {
 			al->cpumode = PERF_RECORD_MISC_KERNEL;
 			al->level = 'k';
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/event.c b/tools/perf/util/event.c
index 7e440fa90c9383ac1ab33cd83e167803477cb7fa..83f2dcd0c0efbcfd86619e37943ae4cbf39d9b47 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/event.c
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ size_t perf_event__fprintf_text_poke(union perf_event *event, struct machine *ma
 	if (machine) {
 		struct addr_location al;
 
-		al.map = maps__find(&machine->kmaps, tp->addr);
+		al.map = maps__find(machine__kernel_maps(machine), tp->addr);
 		if (al.map && map__load(al.map) >= 0) {
 			al.addr = al.map->map_ip(al.map, tp->addr);
 			al.sym = map__find_symbol(al.map, al.addr);
@@ -550,13 +550,13 @@ struct map *thread__find_map(struct thread *thread, u8 cpumode, u64 addr,
 
 	if (cpumode == PERF_RECORD_MISC_KERNEL && perf_host) {
 		al->level = 'k';
-		al->maps = maps = &machine->kmaps;
+		al->maps = maps = machine__kernel_maps(machine);
 		load_map = true;
 	} else if (cpumode == PERF_RECORD_MISC_USER && perf_host) {
 		al->level = '.';
 	} else if (cpumode == PERF_RECORD_MISC_GUEST_KERNEL && perf_guest) {
 		al->level = 'g';
-		al->maps = maps = &machine->kmaps;
+		al->maps = maps = machine__kernel_maps(machine);
 		load_map = true;
 	} else if (cpumode == PERF_RECORD_MISC_GUEST_USER && perf_guest) {
 		al->level = 'u';
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/machine.c b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
index d19e0965c9448c9411b9e9cbceeaac8bd90e82fe..044c6178331f3bc40aa2665378b18bccfbf9059d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/machine.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
@@ -88,7 +88,10 @@ int machine__init(struct machine *machine, const char *root_dir, pid_t pid)
 	int err = -ENOMEM;
 
 	memset(machine, 0, sizeof(*machine));
-	maps__init(&machine->kmaps, machine);
+	machine->kmaps = maps__new(machine);
+	if (machine->kmaps == NULL)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
 	RB_CLEAR_NODE(&machine->rb_node);
 	dsos__init(&machine->dsos);
 
@@ -107,7 +110,7 @@ int machine__init(struct machine *machine, const char *root_dir, pid_t pid)
 
 	machine->root_dir = strdup(root_dir);
 	if (machine->root_dir == NULL)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		goto out;
 
 	if (machine__set_mmap_name(machine))
 		goto out;
@@ -130,6 +133,7 @@ int machine__init(struct machine *machine, const char *root_dir, pid_t pid)
 
 out:
 	if (err) {
+		zfree(&machine->kmaps);
 		zfree(&machine->root_dir);
 		zfree(&machine->mmap_name);
 	}
@@ -219,7 +223,7 @@ void machine__exit(struct machine *machine)
 		return;
 
 	machine__destroy_kernel_maps(machine);
-	maps__exit(&machine->kmaps);
+	maps__delete(machine->kmaps);
 	dsos__exit(&machine->dsos);
 	machine__exit_vdso(machine);
 	zfree(&machine->root_dir);
@@ -742,7 +746,7 @@ static int machine__process_ksymbol_register(struct machine *machine,
 					     struct perf_sample *sample __maybe_unused)
 {
 	struct symbol *sym;
-	struct map *map = maps__find(&machine->kmaps, event->ksymbol.addr);
+	struct map *map = maps__find(machine__kernel_maps(machine), event->ksymbol.addr);
 
 	if (!map) {
 		struct dso *dso = dso__new(event->ksymbol.name);
@@ -765,7 +769,7 @@ static int machine__process_ksymbol_register(struct machine *machine,
 
 		map->start = event->ksymbol.addr;
 		map->end = map->start + event->ksymbol.len;
-		maps__insert(&machine->kmaps, map);
+		maps__insert(machine__kernel_maps(machine), map);
 		dso__set_loaded(dso);
 
 		if (is_bpf_image(event->ksymbol.name)) {
@@ -790,12 +794,12 @@ static int machine__process_ksymbol_unregister(struct machine *machine,
 	struct symbol *sym;
 	struct map *map;
 
-	map = maps__find(&machine->kmaps, event->ksymbol.addr);
+	map = maps__find(machine__kernel_maps(machine), event->ksymbol.addr);
 	if (!map)
 		return 0;
 
 	if (map != machine->vmlinux_map)
-		maps__remove(&machine->kmaps, map);
+		maps__remove(machine__kernel_maps(machine), map);
 	else {
 		sym = dso__find_symbol(map->dso, map->map_ip(map, map->start));
 		if (sym)
@@ -821,7 +825,7 @@ int machine__process_ksymbol(struct machine *machine __maybe_unused,
 int machine__process_text_poke(struct machine *machine, union perf_event *event,
 			       struct perf_sample *sample __maybe_unused)
 {
-	struct map *map = maps__find(&machine->kmaps, event->text_poke.addr);
+	struct map *map = maps__find(machine__kernel_maps(machine), event->text_poke.addr);
 	u8 cpumode = event->header.misc & PERF_RECORD_MISC_CPUMODE_MASK;
 
 	if (dump_trace)
@@ -877,7 +881,7 @@ static struct map *machine__addnew_module_map(struct machine *machine, u64 start
 	if (map == NULL)
 		goto out;
 
-	maps__insert(&machine->kmaps, map);
+	maps__insert(machine__kernel_maps(machine), map);
 
 	/* Put the map here because maps__insert alread got it */
 	map__put(map);
@@ -1063,7 +1067,7 @@ int machine__create_extra_kernel_map(struct machine *machine,
 
 	strlcpy(kmap->name, xm->name, KMAP_NAME_LEN);
 
-	maps__insert(&machine->kmaps, map);
+	maps__insert(machine__kernel_maps(machine), map);
 
 	pr_debug2("Added extra kernel map %s %" PRIx64 "-%" PRIx64 "\n",
 		  kmap->name, map->start, map->end);
@@ -1108,7 +1112,7 @@ static u64 find_entry_trampoline(struct dso *dso)
 int machine__map_x86_64_entry_trampolines(struct machine *machine,
 					  struct dso *kernel)
 {
-	struct maps *kmaps = &machine->kmaps;
+	struct maps *kmaps = machine__kernel_maps(machine);
 	int nr_cpus_avail, cpu;
 	bool found = false;
 	struct map *map;
@@ -1178,7 +1182,7 @@ __machine__create_kernel_maps(struct machine *machine, struct dso *kernel)
 		return -1;
 
 	machine->vmlinux_map->map_ip = machine->vmlinux_map->unmap_ip = identity__map_ip;
-	maps__insert(&machine->kmaps, machine->vmlinux_map);
+	maps__insert(machine__kernel_maps(machine), machine->vmlinux_map);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1191,7 +1195,7 @@ void machine__destroy_kernel_maps(struct machine *machine)
 		return;
 
 	kmap = map__kmap(map);
-	maps__remove(&machine->kmaps, map);
+	maps__remove(machine__kernel_maps(machine), map);
 	if (kmap && kmap->ref_reloc_sym) {
 		zfree((char **)&kmap->ref_reloc_sym->name);
 		zfree(&kmap->ref_reloc_sym);
@@ -1286,7 +1290,7 @@ int machine__load_kallsyms(struct machine *machine, const char *filename)
 		 * kernel, with modules between them, fixup the end of all
 		 * sections.
 		 */
-		maps__fixup_end(&machine->kmaps);
+		maps__fixup_end(machine__kernel_maps(machine));
 	}
 
 	return ret;
@@ -1434,7 +1438,7 @@ static int machine__set_modules_path(struct machine *machine)
 		 machine->root_dir, version);
 	free(version);
 
-	return maps__set_modules_path_dir(&machine->kmaps, modules_path, 0);
+	return maps__set_modules_path_dir(machine__kernel_maps(machine), modules_path, 0);
 }
 int __weak arch__fix_module_text_start(u64 *start __maybe_unused,
 				u64 *size __maybe_unused,
@@ -1507,11 +1511,11 @@ static void machine__update_kernel_mmap(struct machine *machine,
 	struct map *map = machine__kernel_map(machine);
 
 	map__get(map);
-	maps__remove(&machine->kmaps, map);
+	maps__remove(machine__kernel_maps(machine), map);
 
 	machine__set_kernel_mmap(machine, start, end);
 
-	maps__insert(&machine->kmaps, map);
+	maps__insert(machine__kernel_maps(machine), map);
 	map__put(map);
 }
 
@@ -2016,9 +2020,9 @@ static void ip__resolve_ams(struct thread *thread,
 
 	ams->addr = ip;
 	ams->al_addr = al.addr;
-	ams->ms.maps = al.maps;
+	ams->ms.maps = maps__get(al.maps);
 	ams->ms.sym = al.sym;
-	ams->ms.map = al.map;
+	ams->ms.map = map__get(al.map);
 	ams->phys_addr = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/machine.h b/tools/perf/util/machine.h
index 26368d3c17543bd6607ab7e8e11b64367446ac9a..3c60863d5b8ff4c66f73effefa7350369d999d1c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/machine.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/machine.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ struct machine {
 	struct vdso_info  *vdso_info;
 	struct perf_env   *env;
 	struct dsos	  dsos;
-	struct maps	  kmaps;
+	struct maps	  *kmaps;
 	struct map	  *vmlinux_map;
 	u64		  kernel_start;
 	pid_t		  *current_tid;
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ struct map *machine__kernel_map(struct machine *machine)
 static inline
 struct maps *machine__kernel_maps(struct machine *machine)
 {
-	return &machine->kmaps;
+	return machine->kmaps;
 }
 
 int machine__get_kernel_start(struct machine *machine);
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ static inline
 struct symbol *machine__find_kernel_symbol(struct machine *machine, u64 addr,
 					   struct map **mapp)
 {
-	return maps__find_symbol(&machine->kmaps, addr, mapp);
+	return maps__find_symbol(machine->kmaps, addr, mapp);
 }
 
 static inline
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ struct symbol *machine__find_kernel_symbol_by_name(struct machine *machine,
 						   const char *name,
 						   struct map **mapp)
 {
-	return maps__find_symbol_by_name(&machine->kmaps, name, mapp);
+	return maps__find_symbol_by_name(machine->kmaps, name, mapp);
 }
 
 int arch__fix_module_text_start(u64 *start, u64 *size, const char *name);
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
index 97e2a72bd6f5e2fe5b6672d3a3682a8adb77c6e4..622ece3d71599c10f97d472fa34796f789e04f84 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ static int kernel_get_module_dso(const char *module, struct dso **pdso)
 		char module_name[128];
 
 		snprintf(module_name, sizeof(module_name), "[%s]", module);
-		map = maps__find_by_name(&host_machine->kmaps, module_name);
+		map = maps__find_by_name(machine__kernel_maps(host_machine), module_name);
 		if (map) {
 			dso = map->dso;
 			goto found;