diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index ce96f1fe3f3730db102119d2cea5ba591547a4b6..df54c4c9e48a2c698bc3c964a0877a9f54f64ebe 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -1438,9 +1438,37 @@ bpf_object__load_progs(struct bpf_object *obj)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int bpf_object__validate(struct bpf_object *obj)
+static bool bpf_prog_type__needs_kver(enum bpf_prog_type type)
+{
+	switch (type) {
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SOCKET_FILTER:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_CLS:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_ACT:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_XDP:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_SKB:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_SOCK:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LWT_IN:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LWT_OUT:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LWT_XMIT:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SOCK_OPS:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_SKB:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_DEVICE:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_MSG:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_SOCK_ADDR:
+		return false;
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_UNSPEC:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_KPROBE:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACEPOINT:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_PERF_EVENT:
+	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_RAW_TRACEPOINT:
+	default:
+		return true;
+	}
+}
+
+static int bpf_object__validate(struct bpf_object *obj, bool needs_kver)
 {
-	if (obj->kern_version == 0) {
+	if (needs_kver && obj->kern_version == 0) {
 		pr_warning("%s doesn't provide kernel version\n",
 			   obj->path);
 		return -LIBBPF_ERRNO__KVERSION;
@@ -1449,7 +1477,8 @@ static int bpf_object__validate(struct bpf_object *obj)
 }
 
 static struct bpf_object *
-__bpf_object__open(const char *path, void *obj_buf, size_t obj_buf_sz)
+__bpf_object__open(const char *path, void *obj_buf, size_t obj_buf_sz,
+		   bool needs_kver)
 {
 	struct bpf_object *obj;
 	int err;
@@ -1467,7 +1496,7 @@ __bpf_object__open(const char *path, void *obj_buf, size_t obj_buf_sz)
 	CHECK_ERR(bpf_object__check_endianness(obj), err, out);
 	CHECK_ERR(bpf_object__elf_collect(obj), err, out);
 	CHECK_ERR(bpf_object__collect_reloc(obj), err, out);
-	CHECK_ERR(bpf_object__validate(obj), err, out);
+	CHECK_ERR(bpf_object__validate(obj, needs_kver), err, out);
 
 	bpf_object__elf_finish(obj);
 	return obj;
@@ -1484,7 +1513,7 @@ struct bpf_object *bpf_object__open(const char *path)
 
 	pr_debug("loading %s\n", path);
 
-	return __bpf_object__open(path, NULL, 0);
+	return __bpf_object__open(path, NULL, 0, true);
 }
 
 struct bpf_object *bpf_object__open_buffer(void *obj_buf,
@@ -1507,7 +1536,7 @@ struct bpf_object *bpf_object__open_buffer(void *obj_buf,
 	pr_debug("loading object '%s' from buffer\n",
 		 name);
 
-	return __bpf_object__open(name, obj_buf, obj_buf_sz);
+	return __bpf_object__open(name, obj_buf, obj_buf_sz, true);
 }
 
 int bpf_object__unload(struct bpf_object *obj)
@@ -2164,8 +2193,11 @@ int bpf_prog_load_xattr(const struct bpf_prog_load_attr *attr,
 
 	if (!attr)
 		return -EINVAL;
+	if (!attr->file)
+		return -EINVAL;
 
-	obj = bpf_object__open(attr->file);
+	obj = __bpf_object__open(attr->file, NULL, 0,
+				 bpf_prog_type__needs_kver(attr->prog_type));
 	if (IS_ERR(obj))
 		return -ENOENT;