diff --git a/tools/perf/util/data.c b/tools/perf/util/data.c
index 94dc534a7386..33fd1b82019e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/data.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/data.c
@@ -345,9 +345,10 @@ static int open_dir(struct perf_data *data)
 	if (asprintf(&data->file.path, "%s/data", data->path) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	if (perf_data__is_write(data) &&
-	    mkdir(data->path, S_IRWXU) < 0)
+	if (perf_data__is_write(data) && mkdir(data->path, 0700) < 0) {
+		zfree(&data->file.path);
 		return -1;
+	}
 
 	ret = open_file(data);
 
@@ -360,9 +361,16 @@ static int open_dir(struct perf_data *data)
 
 int perf_data__open(struct perf_data *data)
 {
-	if (check_pipe(data))
+	int ret;
+
+	if (data->open)
 		return 0;
 
+	if (check_pipe(data)) {
+		data->open = true;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	/* currently it allows stdio for pipe only */
 	data->file.use_stdio = false;
 
@@ -375,16 +383,24 @@ int perf_data__open(struct perf_data *data)
 	if (perf_data__is_read(data))
 		data->is_dir = is_dir(data);
 
-	return perf_data__is_dir(data) ?
-	       open_dir(data) : open_file_dup(data);
+	ret = perf_data__is_dir(data) ? open_dir(data) : open_file_dup(data);
+
+	if (!ret)
+		data->open = true;
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 void perf_data__close(struct perf_data *data)
 {
+	if (!data->open)
+		return;
+
 	if (perf_data__is_dir(data))
 		perf_data__close_dir(data);
 
 	perf_data_file__close(&data->file);
+	data->open = false;
 }
 
 static ssize_t perf_data_file__read(struct perf_data_file *file, void *buf, size_t size)
@@ -457,6 +473,7 @@ int perf_data__switch(struct perf_data *data,
 
 	if (!at_exit) {
 		perf_data_file__close(&data->file);
+		data->open = false;
 		ret = perf_data__open(data);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			goto out;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/data.h b/tools/perf/util/data.h
index 8299fb5fa7da..76f57f60361f 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/data.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/data.h
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ struct perf_data {
 	const char		*path;
 	/** @file: Underlying file to be used. */
 	struct perf_data_file	 file;
+	/** @open: Has the file or directory been opened. */
+	bool			 open;
 	/** @is_pipe: Underlying file is a pipe. */
 	bool			 is_pipe;
 	/** @is_dir: Underlying file is a directory. */
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@ struct perf_data {
 	/** @in_place_update: A file opened for reading but will be written to. */
 	bool			 in_place_update;
 	/** @mode: Read or write mode. */
-	enum perf_data_mode	 mode;
+	enum perf_data_mode	 mode:8;
 
 	struct {
 		/** @version: perf_dir_version. */