diff --git a/hipamd/src/program_state.inl b/hipamd/src/program_state.inl
index 9feabbc2f7..3dc0a9e128 100644
--- a/hipamd/src/program_state.inl
+++ b/hipamd/src/program_state.inl
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ public:
                         std::function<void(hsa_code_object_reader_t*)>>;
     std::pair<
         std::mutex,
-        std::vector<RAII_code_reader>> code_readers;
+        std::vector<std::pair<std::unique_ptr<char[]>, RAII_code_reader>>> code_readers;
 
     program_state_impl() {
         // Create placeholder for each agent for the per-agent members.
@@ -390,8 +390,14 @@ public:
         };
 
         RAII_code_reader tmp{new hsa_code_object_reader_t, cor_deleter};
+        // The lifetime of the buffer must exceed that of the associated
+        // code object reader. Create a copy of the file, which will be
+        // released at the same time the code object reader is destroyed.
+        std::unique_ptr<char[]> buffer(new char[file.size()]);
+        memcpy(buffer.get(), file.data(), file.size());
+
         hsa_code_object_reader_create_from_memory(
-            file.data(), file.size(), tmp.get());
+            buffer.get(), file.size(), tmp.get());
 
         hsa_executable_load_agent_code_object(
             executable, agent, *tmp, nullptr, nullptr);
@@ -399,7 +405,7 @@ public:
         hsa_executable_freeze(executable, nullptr);
 
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lck{code_readers.first};
-        code_readers.second.push_back(move(tmp));
+        code_readers.second.emplace_back(move(buffer), move(tmp));
     }