diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c b/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c
index c0debc3f79b6..c0815a37fdb5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-c2c.c
@@ -2390,9 +2390,10 @@ static int setup_callchain(struct perf_evlist *evlist)
 	enum perf_call_graph_mode mode = CALLCHAIN_NONE;
 
 	if ((sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_REGS_USER) &&
-	    (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_STACK_USER))
+	    (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_STACK_USER)) {
 		mode = CALLCHAIN_DWARF;
-	else if (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_STACK)
+		dwarf_callchain_users = true;
+	} else if (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_STACK)
 		mode = CALLCHAIN_LBR;
 	else if (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_CALLCHAIN)
 		mode = CALLCHAIN_FP;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
index dd4df9a5cd06..6593779224d5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-report.c
@@ -338,9 +338,10 @@ static int report__setup_sample_type(struct report *rep)
 
 	if (symbol_conf.use_callchain || symbol_conf.cumulate_callchain) {
 		if ((sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_REGS_USER) &&
-		    (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_STACK_USER))
+		    (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_STACK_USER)) {
 			callchain_param.record_mode = CALLCHAIN_DWARF;
-		else if (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_STACK)
+			dwarf_callchain_users = true;
+		} else if (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_STACK)
 			callchain_param.record_mode = CALLCHAIN_LBR;
 		else
 			callchain_param.record_mode = CALLCHAIN_FP;
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
index c1cce474c0f1..08bc818f371b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-script.c
@@ -2919,9 +2919,10 @@ static void script__setup_sample_type(struct perf_script *script)
 
 	if (symbol_conf.use_callchain || symbol_conf.cumulate_callchain) {
 		if ((sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_REGS_USER) &&
-		    (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_STACK_USER))
+		    (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_STACK_USER)) {
 			callchain_param.record_mode = CALLCHAIN_DWARF;
-		else if (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_STACK)
+			dwarf_callchain_users = true;
+		} else if (sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_BRANCH_STACK)
 			callchain_param.record_mode = CALLCHAIN_LBR;
 		else
 			callchain_param.record_mode = CALLCHAIN_FP;
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/dwarf-unwind.c b/tools/perf/tests/dwarf-unwind.c
index ac40e05bcab4..260418969120 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/dwarf-unwind.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/dwarf-unwind.c
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ int test__dwarf_unwind(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest __maybe_unu
 	}
 
 	callchain_param.record_mode = CALLCHAIN_DWARF;
+	dwarf_callchain_users = true;
 
 	if (init_live_machine(machine)) {
 		pr_err("Could not init machine\n");
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/callchain.c b/tools/perf/util/callchain.c
index 082505d08d72..32ef7bdca1cf 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/callchain.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/callchain.c
@@ -37,6 +37,15 @@ struct callchain_param callchain_param = {
 	CALLCHAIN_PARAM_DEFAULT
 };
 
+/*
+ * Are there any events usind DWARF callchains?
+ *
+ * I.e.
+ *
+ * -e cycles/call-graph=dwarf/
+ */
+bool dwarf_callchain_users;
+
 struct callchain_param callchain_param_default = {
 	CALLCHAIN_PARAM_DEFAULT
 };
@@ -265,6 +274,7 @@ int parse_callchain_record(const char *arg, struct callchain_param *param)
 			ret = 0;
 			param->record_mode = CALLCHAIN_DWARF;
 			param->dump_size = default_stack_dump_size;
+			dwarf_callchain_users = true;
 
 			tok = strtok_r(NULL, ",", &saveptr);
 			if (tok) {
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/callchain.h b/tools/perf/util/callchain.h
index b79ef2478a57..154560b1eb65 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/callchain.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/callchain.h
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ enum chain_value {
 	CCVAL_COUNT,
 };
 
+extern bool dwarf_callchain_users;
+
 struct callchain_param {
 	bool			enabled;
 	enum perf_call_graph_mode record_mode;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c
index 7a42f703e858..af873044d33a 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/unwind-libunwind-local.c
@@ -631,9 +631,8 @@ static unw_accessors_t accessors = {
 
 static int _unwind__prepare_access(struct thread *thread)
 {
-	if (callchain_param.record_mode != CALLCHAIN_DWARF)
+	if (!dwarf_callchain_users)
 		return 0;
-
 	thread->addr_space = unw_create_addr_space(&accessors, 0);
 	if (!thread->addr_space) {
 		pr_err("unwind: Can't create unwind address space.\n");
@@ -646,17 +645,15 @@ static int _unwind__prepare_access(struct thread *thread)
 
 static void _unwind__flush_access(struct thread *thread)
 {
-	if (callchain_param.record_mode != CALLCHAIN_DWARF)
+	if (!dwarf_callchain_users)
 		return;
-
 	unw_flush_cache(thread->addr_space, 0, 0);
 }
 
 static void _unwind__finish_access(struct thread *thread)
 {
-	if (callchain_param.record_mode != CALLCHAIN_DWARF)
+	if (!dwarf_callchain_users)
 		return;
-
 	unw_destroy_addr_space(thread->addr_space);
 }