diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile
index 3f17ad317512..f8f31a8d9269 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ endif
 
 LIBBPF = $(BPF_PATH)libbpf.a
 
+BPFTOOL_VERSION=$(shell make --no-print-directory -sC ../../.. kernelversion)
+
 $(LIBBPF): FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(BPF_DIR) OUTPUT=$(OUTPUT) $(OUTPUT)libbpf.a FEATURES_DUMP=$(FEATURE_DUMP_EXPORT)
 
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ CC = gcc
 CFLAGS += -O2
 CFLAGS += -W -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -Wshadow
 CFLAGS += -D__EXPORTED_HEADERS__ -I$(srctree)/tools/include/uapi -I$(srctree)/tools/include -I$(srctree)/tools/lib/bpf -I$(srctree)/kernel/bpf/
+CFLAGS += -DBPFTOOL_VERSION='"$(BPFTOOL_VERSION)"'
 LIBS = -lelf -lbfd -lopcodes $(LIBBPF)
 
 INSTALL ?= install
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c
index ecd53ccf1239..3a0396d87c42 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <linux/bpf.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -95,21 +94,13 @@ static int do_help(int argc, char **argv)
 
 static int do_version(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	unsigned int version[3];
-
-	version[0] = LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 16;
-	version[1] = LINUX_VERSION_CODE >> 8 & 0xf;
-	version[2] = LINUX_VERSION_CODE & 0xf;
-
 	if (json_output) {
 		jsonw_start_object(json_wtr);
 		jsonw_name(json_wtr, "version");
-		jsonw_printf(json_wtr, "\"%u.%u.%u\"",
-			     version[0], version[1], version[2]);
+		jsonw_printf(json_wtr, "\"%s\"", BPFTOOL_VERSION);
 		jsonw_end_object(json_wtr);
 	} else {
-		printf("%s v%u.%u.%u\n", bin_name,
-		       version[0], version[1], version[2]);
+		printf("%s v%s\n", bin_name, BPFTOOL_VERSION);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }