diff --git a/tools/perf/util/machine.c b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
index ded74590b92feaabd36f50b89baa77494514fd54..290c2e6d4001643feecfcfc6e0517018c8bd0112 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/machine.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
@@ -496,19 +496,22 @@ static int symbol__in_kernel(void *arg, const char *name,
 	return 1;
 }
 
+static void machine__get_kallsyms_filename(struct machine *machine, char *buf,
+					   size_t bufsz)
+{
+	if (machine__is_default_guest(machine))
+		scnprintf(buf, bufsz, "%s", symbol_conf.default_guest_kallsyms);
+	else
+		scnprintf(buf, bufsz, "%s/proc/kallsyms", machine->root_dir);
+}
+
 /* Figure out the start address of kernel map from /proc/kallsyms */
 static u64 machine__get_kernel_start_addr(struct machine *machine)
 {
-	const char *filename;
-	char path[PATH_MAX];
+	char filename[PATH_MAX];
 	struct process_args args;
 
-	if (machine__is_default_guest(machine))
-		filename = (char *)symbol_conf.default_guest_kallsyms;
-	else {
-		sprintf(path, "%s/proc/kallsyms", machine->root_dir);
-		filename = path;
-	}
+	machine__get_kallsyms_filename(machine, filename, PATH_MAX);
 
 	if (symbol__restricted_filename(filename, "/proc/kallsyms"))
 		return 0;