diff --git a/scripts/recordmcount.pl b/scripts/recordmcount.pl
index d6199fc4870..02c80552b07 100755
--- a/scripts/recordmcount.pl
+++ b/scripts/recordmcount.pl
@@ -391,9 +391,27 @@ open(IN, "$objdump -hdr $inputfile|") || die "error running $objdump";
 
 my $text;
 
+
+# read headers first
 my $read_headers = 1;
 
 while (<IN>) {
+
+    if ($read_headers && /$mcount_section/) {
+	#
+	# Somehow the make process can execute this script on an
+	# object twice. If it does, we would duplicate the mcount
+	# section and it will cause the function tracer self test
+	# to fail. Check if the mcount section exists, and if it does,
+	# warn and exit.
+	#
+	print STDERR "ERROR: $mcount_section already in $inputfile\n" .
+	    "\tThis may be an indication that your build is corrupted.\n" .
+	    "\tDelete $inputfile and try again. If the same object file\n" .
+	    "\tstill causes an issue, then disable CONFIG_DYNAMIC_FTRACE.\n";
+	exit(-1);
+    }
+
     # is it a section?
     if (/$section_regex/) {
 	$read_headers = 0;
@@ -434,21 +452,7 @@ while (<IN>) {
 		$offset = hex $1;
 	    }
 	}
-    } elsif ($read_headers && /$mcount_section/) {
-	#
-	# Somehow the make process can execute this script on an
-	# object twice. If it does, we would duplicate the mcount
-	# section and it will cause the function tracer self test
-	# to fail. Check if the mcount section exists, and if it does,
-	# warn and exit.
-	#
-	print STDERR "ERROR: $mcount_section already in $inputfile\n" .
-	    "\tThis may be an indication that your build is corrupted.\n" .
-	    "\tDelete $inputfile and try again. If the same object file\n" .
-	    "\tstill causes an issue, then disable CONFIG_DYNAMIC_FTRACE.\n";
-	exit(-1);
     }
-
     # is this a call site to mcount? If so, record it to print later
     if ($text_found && /$mcount_regex/) {
 	$offsets[$#offsets + 1] = hex $1;