diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile.config b/tools/perf/Makefile.config
index 9962ae23ab8c58686621aafa65b8bafe1abf2414..5b87846759036f6f4c3b32b45270e4e871aee29d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile.config
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile.config
@@ -589,6 +589,8 @@ ifndef NO_LIBELF
           $(call feature_check,libbpf-bpf_program__set_insns)
           ifeq ($(feature-libbpf-bpf_program__set_insns), 1)
             CFLAGS += -DHAVE_LIBBPF_BPF_PROGRAM__SET_INSNS
+          else
+            dummy := $(error Error: libbpf devel library needs to be >= 0.8.0 to build with LIBBPF_DYNAMIC, update or build statically with the version that comes with the kernel sources);
           endif
           $(call feature_check,libbpf-btf__raw_data)
           ifeq ($(feature-libbpf-btf__raw_data), 1)