diff --git a/src/ContextSwitchEvent.cc b/src/ContextSwitchEvent.cc
index 94aecab83af..3004bb4ca44 100644
--- a/src/ContextSwitchEvent.cc
+++ b/src/ContextSwitchEvent.cc
@@ -144,12 +144,15 @@ ContextSwitchEventStrategy ContextSwitchEvent::strategy() {
   return strat;
 }
 
-void ContextSwitchEvent::init(ScopedFd tracee_fd) {
+bool ContextSwitchEvent::init(ScopedFd tracee_fd) {
   tracee_fd_ = std::move(tracee_fd);
   if (strategy() == ContextSwitchEventStrategy::STRATEGY_RECORD_SWITCH) {
     mmap_buffer = make_unique<PerfCounterBuffers>();
-    mmap_buffer->allocate(tracee_fd_, page_size(), 0);
+    bool ok = false;
+    mmap_buffer->allocate(tracee_fd_, page_size(), 0, &ok);
+    return ok;
   }
+  return true;
 }
 
 void ContextSwitchEvent::drain_events() {
diff --git a/src/ContextSwitchEvent.h b/src/ContextSwitchEvent.h
index 7753059f818..e9d13635238 100644
--- a/src/ContextSwitchEvent.h
+++ b/src/ContextSwitchEvent.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ namespace rr {
  */
 class ContextSwitchEvent {
 public:
-  void init(ScopedFd tracee_fd);
+  bool init(ScopedFd tracee_fd);
 
   ScopedFd& tracee_fd() { return tracee_fd_; }
 
diff --git a/src/PerfCounterBuffers.cc b/src/PerfCounterBuffers.cc
index 68dc16b7ad4..6e6c8a201f7 100644
--- a/src/PerfCounterBuffers.cc
+++ b/src/PerfCounterBuffers.cc
@@ -23,13 +23,22 @@ void PerfCounterBuffers::destroy() {
 }
 
 void PerfCounterBuffers::allocate(ScopedFd& perf_event_fd,
-    uint64_t buffer_size, uint64_t aux_size) {
+    uint64_t buffer_size, uint64_t aux_size, bool *ok) {
   this->buffer_size = buffer_size;
+  if (ok) {
+    *ok = true;
+  }
 
   void* base = mmap(NULL, page_size() + buffer_size,
       PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, perf_event_fd, 0);
   if (base == MAP_FAILED) {
-    FATAL() << "Can't allocate memory for PT DATA area";
+    const auto msg = "Can't allocate memory for PT DATA area";
+    if (!ok) {
+      FATAL() << msg;
+    }
+    LOG(warn) << msg;
+    *ok = false;
+    return;
   }
   mmap_header = static_cast<struct perf_event_mmap_page*>(base);
 
@@ -40,7 +49,13 @@ void PerfCounterBuffers::allocate(ScopedFd& perf_event_fd,
     void* aux = mmap(NULL, mmap_header->aux_size, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED,
         perf_event_fd, mmap_header->aux_offset);
     if (aux == MAP_FAILED) {
-      FATAL() << "Can't allocate memory for PT AUX area";
+      const auto msg = "Can't allocate memory for PT AUX area";
+      if (!ok) {
+        FATAL() << msg;
+      }
+      LOG(warn) << msg;
+      *ok = false;
+      return;
     }
     mmap_aux_buffer = static_cast<char*>(aux);
   }
diff --git a/src/PerfCounterBuffers.h b/src/PerfCounterBuffers.h
index d1ae4892ebb..19f96ef038f 100644
--- a/src/PerfCounterBuffers.h
+++ b/src/PerfCounterBuffers.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class PerfCounterBuffers {
       buffer_size(0), packet_in_use(false) {}
   ~PerfCounterBuffers() { destroy(); }
 
-  void allocate(ScopedFd& perf_event_fd, uint64_t buffer_size, uint64_t aux_size);
+  void allocate(ScopedFd& perf_event_fd, uint64_t buffer_size, uint64_t aux_size, bool *ok = nullptr);
   void destroy();
 
   bool allocated() const { return mmap_header != nullptr; }
diff --git a/src/RecordTask.cc b/src/RecordTask.cc
index 52fba523ae1..4f930e17fdf 100644
--- a/src/RecordTask.cc
+++ b/src/RecordTask.cc
@@ -526,7 +526,11 @@ template <typename Arch> void RecordTask::init_buffers_arch() {
     desched_fd_child = args.desched_counter_fd;
     // Prevent the child from closing this fd
     fds->add_monitor(this, desched_fd_child, new PreserveFileMonitor());
-    desched_fd.init(remote.retrieve_fd(desched_fd_child));
+    if (!desched_fd.init(remote.retrieve_fd(desched_fd_child))) {
+      LOG(warn)
+          << "ContextSwitchEvent initialization with strategy "
+             "STRATEGY_RECORD_SWITCH failed. tracee died unexpectedly or killed ??";
+    }
 
     if (trace_writer().supports_file_data_cloning() &&
         session().use_read_cloning()) {