diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.c
index 4324eb47d214bcd43c10cebc08f3010bb65ad6d3..46db0a3b5cb788070573f4e81031278697550806 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.c
@@ -367,8 +367,6 @@ void btf__free(struct btf *btf)
 
 struct btf *btf__new(__u8 *data, __u32 size)
 {
-	__u32 log_buf_size = 0;
-	char *log_buf = NULL;
 	struct btf *btf;
 	int err;
 
@@ -378,15 +376,6 @@ struct btf *btf__new(__u8 *data, __u32 size)
 
 	btf->fd = -1;
 
-	log_buf = malloc(BPF_LOG_BUF_SIZE);
-	if (!log_buf) {
-		err = -ENOMEM;
-		goto done;
-	}
-
-	*log_buf = 0;
-	log_buf_size = BPF_LOG_BUF_SIZE;
-
 	btf->data = malloc(size);
 	if (!btf->data) {
 		err = -ENOMEM;
@@ -396,17 +385,6 @@ struct btf *btf__new(__u8 *data, __u32 size)
 	memcpy(btf->data, data, size);
 	btf->data_size = size;
 
-	btf->fd = bpf_load_btf(btf->data, btf->data_size,
-			       log_buf, log_buf_size, false);
-
-	if (btf->fd == -1) {
-		err = -errno;
-		pr_warning("Error loading BTF: %s(%d)\n", strerror(errno), errno);
-		if (log_buf && *log_buf)
-			pr_warning("%s\n", log_buf);
-		goto done;
-	}
-
 	err = btf_parse_hdr(btf);
 	if (err)
 		goto done;
@@ -418,8 +396,6 @@ struct btf *btf__new(__u8 *data, __u32 size)
 	err = btf_parse_type_sec(btf);
 
 done:
-	free(log_buf);
-
 	if (err) {
 		btf__free(btf);
 		return ERR_PTR(err);
@@ -428,6 +404,36 @@ struct btf *btf__new(__u8 *data, __u32 size)
 	return btf;
 }
 
+int btf__load(struct btf *btf)
+{
+	__u32 log_buf_size = BPF_LOG_BUF_SIZE;
+	char *log_buf = NULL;
+	int err = 0;
+
+	if (btf->fd >= 0)
+		return -EEXIST;
+
+	log_buf = malloc(log_buf_size);
+	if (!log_buf)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	*log_buf = 0;
+
+	btf->fd = bpf_load_btf(btf->data, btf->data_size,
+			       log_buf, log_buf_size, false);
+	if (btf->fd < 0) {
+		err = -errno;
+		pr_warning("Error loading BTF: %s(%d)\n", strerror(errno), errno);
+		if (*log_buf)
+			pr_warning("%s\n", log_buf);
+		goto done;
+	}
+
+done:
+	free(log_buf);
+	return err;
+}
+
 int btf__fd(const struct btf *btf)
 {
 	return btf->fd;
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h
index b393da90cc8511a1cf24cb3954b6b23d9f5d8d91..f55b7bc98d9e50342e882c996541b58495c335b5 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ struct btf_ext_header {
 
 LIBBPF_API void btf__free(struct btf *btf);
 LIBBPF_API struct btf *btf__new(__u8 *data, __u32 size);
+LIBBPF_API int btf__load(struct btf *btf);
 LIBBPF_API __s32 btf__find_by_name(const struct btf *btf,
 				   const char *type_name);
 LIBBPF_API __u32 btf__get_nr_types(const struct btf *btf);
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index 8d64ada5f7284b3bcc929c2b2066631c85f39da5..e3c39edfb9d3c701e61cf1dc29b82127dcc6a9ca 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -836,7 +836,7 @@ static int bpf_object__elf_collect(struct bpf_object *obj, int flags)
 			obj->efile.maps_shndx = idx;
 		else if (strcmp(name, BTF_ELF_SEC) == 0) {
 			obj->btf = btf__new(data->d_buf, data->d_size);
-			if (IS_ERR(obj->btf)) {
+			if (IS_ERR(obj->btf) || btf__load(obj->btf)) {
 				pr_warning("Error loading ELF section %s: %ld. Ignored and continue.\n",
 					   BTF_ELF_SEC, PTR_ERR(obj->btf));
 				obj->btf = NULL;
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map
index 89c1149e32eece93378bbcdc4be8c807f8f26807..f5372df143f48996964f8c1045548a8b09078076 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ LIBBPF_0.0.2 {
 		btf__get_map_kv_tids;
 		btf__get_nr_types;
 		btf__get_strings;
+		btf__load;
 		btf_ext__free;
 		btf_ext__func_info_rec_size;
 		btf_ext__line_info_rec_size;