diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-probe.c b/tools/perf/builtin-probe.c
index c98ccb570509..1792a3f1f4ce 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-probe.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-probe.c
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ static int opt_set_target(const struct option *opt, const char *str,
 			int unset __maybe_unused)
 {
 	int ret = -ENOENT;
+	char *tmp;
 
 	if  (str && !params.target) {
 		if (!strcmp(opt->long_name, "exec"))
@@ -180,7 +181,19 @@ static int opt_set_target(const struct option *opt, const char *str,
 		else
 			return ret;
 
-		params.target = str;
+		/* Expand given path to absolute path, except for modulename */
+		if (params.uprobes || strchr(str, '/')) {
+			tmp = realpath(str, NULL);
+			if (!tmp) {
+				pr_warning("Failed to get the absolute path of %s: %m\n", str);
+				return ret;
+			}
+		} else {
+			tmp = strdup(str);
+			if (!tmp)
+				return -ENOMEM;
+		}
+		params.target = tmp;
 		ret = 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
index 544ac1898a9f..68013b91377c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/probe-event.c
@@ -2281,7 +2281,7 @@ static int convert_name_to_addr(struct perf_probe_event *pev, const char *exec)
 	struct perf_probe_point *pp = &pev->point;
 	struct symbol *sym;
 	struct map *map = NULL;
-	char *function = NULL, *name = NULL;
+	char *function = NULL;
 	int ret = -EINVAL;
 	unsigned long long vaddr = 0;
 
@@ -2297,12 +2297,7 @@ static int convert_name_to_addr(struct perf_probe_event *pev, const char *exec)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	name = realpath(exec, NULL);
-	if (!name) {
-		pr_warning("Cannot find realpath for %s.\n", exec);
-		goto out;
-	}
-	map = dso__new_map(name);
+	map = dso__new_map(exec);
 	if (!map) {
 		pr_warning("Cannot find appropriate DSO for %s.\n", exec);
 		goto out;
@@ -2367,7 +2362,5 @@ out:
 	}
 	if (function)
 		free(function);
-	if (name)
-		free(name);
 	return ret;
 }