diff --git a/pkg/eventcache/eventcache.go b/pkg/eventcache/eventcache.go
index f0b259d05aa..502d32570fb 100644
--- a/pkg/eventcache/eventcache.go
+++ b/pkg/eventcache/eventcache.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func HandleGenericInternal(ev notify.Event, pid uint32, tid *uint32, timestamp u
 	var err error
 
 	if parent != nil {
-		ev.SetParent(parent.GetProcessCopy())
+		ev.SetParent(parent.UnsafeGetProcess())
 	} else {
 		errormetrics.ErrorTotalInc(errormetrics.EventCacheParentInfoFailed)
 		err = ErrFailedToGetParentInfo
diff --git a/pkg/grpc/exec/exec.go b/pkg/grpc/exec/exec.go
index 217b6811aeb..57afffc7658 100644
--- a/pkg/grpc/exec/exec.go
+++ b/pkg/grpc/exec/exec.go
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ func GetProcessExec(event *MsgExecveEventUnix, useCache bool) *tetragon.ProcessE
 
 	if parent != nil {
 		parent.RefInc()
-		tetragonEvent.Parent = parent.GetProcessCopy()
 	}
 
 	// do we need to cleanup anything?
@@ -186,7 +185,7 @@ func (msg *MsgExecveEventUnix) Retry(internal *process.ProcessInternal, ev notif
 	// want to panic anyway to help us catch the bug faster. So no need to do a nil check
 	// here.
 	internal.AddPodInfo(podInfo)
-	ev.SetProcess(internal.GetProcessCopy())
+	ev.SetProcess(internal.UnsafeGetProcess())
 
 	// Check we have a parent with exception for pid 1, note we do this last because we want
 	// to ensure the podInfo and process are set before returning any errors.
@@ -197,7 +196,7 @@ func (msg *MsgExecveEventUnix) Retry(internal *process.ProcessInternal, ev notif
 			return err
 		}
 		parent.RefInc()
-		ev.SetParent(parent.GetProcessCopy())
+		ev.SetParent(parent.UnsafeGetProcess())
 	}
 
 	// do we need to cleanup anything?
@@ -305,11 +304,10 @@ func GetProcessExit(event *MsgExitEventUnix) *tetragon.ProcessExit {
 	}
 	if parent != nil {
 		parent.RefDec()
-		tetragonEvent.Parent = parent.GetProcessCopy()
 	}
 	if proc != nil {
-		proc.RefDec()
 		tetragonEvent.Process = proc.GetProcessCopy()
+		proc.RefDec()
 		// Use the bpf recorded TID to update the event
 		process.UpdateEventProcessTid(tetragonEvent.Process, &event.Info.Tid)
 	}
@@ -330,11 +328,11 @@ func (msg *MsgExitEventUnix) RetryInternal(ev notify.Event, timestamp uint64) (*
 	var err error
 
 	if parent != nil {
+		ev.SetParent(parent.UnsafeGetProcess())
 		if !msg.RefCntDone[ParentRefCnt] {
 			parent.RefDec()
 			msg.RefCntDone[ParentRefCnt] = true
 		}
-		ev.SetParent(parent.GetProcessCopy())
 	} else {
 		errormetrics.ErrorTotalInc(errormetrics.EventCacheParentInfoFailed)
 		err = eventcache.ErrFailedToGetParentInfo
diff --git a/pkg/grpc/tracing/tracing.go b/pkg/grpc/tracing/tracing.go
index b4cf38d90e8..278d197421d 100644
--- a/pkg/grpc/tracing/tracing.go
+++ b/pkg/grpc/tracing/tracing.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func GetProcessKprobe(event *MsgGenericKprobeUnix) *tetragon.ProcessKprobe {
 		process.UpdateEventProcessTid(tetragonEvent.Process, &event.Tid)
 	}
 	if parent != nil {
-		tetragonEvent.Parent = parent.GetProcessCopy()
+		tetragonEvent.Parent = tetragonParent
 	}
 
 	return tetragonEvent
@@ -334,11 +334,10 @@ func (msg *MsgGenericTracepointUnix) HandleMessage() *tetragon.GetEventsResponse
 	if proc != nil {
 		tetragonEvent.Process = proc.GetProcessCopy()
 		// Use the bpf recorded TID to update the event
+		// The cost to get this is relatively high because it requires a
+		// deep copyo of the process in order to safely modify it.
 		process.UpdateEventProcessTid(tetragonEvent.Process, &msg.Tid)
 	}
-	if parent != nil {
-		tetragonEvent.Parent = parent.GetProcessCopy()
-	}
 
 	return &tetragon.GetEventsResponse{
 		Event:    &tetragon.GetEventsResponse_ProcessTracepoint{ProcessTracepoint: tetragonEvent},
@@ -557,10 +556,6 @@ func GetProcessUprobe(event *MsgGenericUprobeUnix) *tetragon.ProcessUprobe {
 		// Use the bpf recorded TID to update the event
 		process.UpdateEventProcessTid(tetragonEvent.Process, &event.Tid)
 	}
-	if parent != nil {
-		tetragonEvent.Parent = parent.GetProcessCopy()
-	}
-
 	return tetragonEvent
 }