diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c b/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c
index 19fa7cb429fd..adaff9044331 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/task-exit.c
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ int test__task_exit(struct test *test __maybe_unused, int subtest __maybe_unused
 	struct perf_cpu_map *cpus;
 	struct perf_thread_map *threads;
 	struct mmap *md;
+	int retry_count = 0;
 
 	signal(SIGCHLD, sig_handler);
 
@@ -133,6 +134,13 @@ retry:
 out_init:
 	if (!exited || !nr_exit) {
 		evlist__poll(evlist, -1);
+
+		if (retry_count++ > 1000) {
+			pr_debug("Failed after retrying 1000 times\n");
+			err = -1;
+			goto out_free_maps;
+		}
+
 		goto retry;
 	}