diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/common.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/common.c
index a45b42ee8ab0..a0d4acd7c54a 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/common.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/common.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <linux/magic.h>
 #include <net/if.h>
 #include <sys/mount.h>
+#include <sys/resource.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/vfs.h>
 
@@ -72,6 +73,13 @@ static bool is_bpffs(char *path)
 	return (unsigned long)st_fs.f_type == BPF_FS_MAGIC;
 }
 
+void set_max_rlimit(void)
+{
+	struct rlimit rinf = { RLIM_INFINITY, RLIM_INFINITY };
+
+	setrlimit(RLIMIT_MEMLOCK, &rinf);
+}
+
 static int
 mnt_fs(const char *target, const char *type, char *buff, size_t bufflen)
 {
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/feature.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/feature.c
index cc9e4df8c58e..bac4ef428a02 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/feature.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/feature.c
@@ -1167,6 +1167,8 @@ static int do_probe(int argc, char **argv)
 	__u32 ifindex = 0;
 	char *ifname;
 
+	set_max_rlimit();
+
 	while (argc) {
 		if (is_prefix(*argv, "kernel")) {
 			if (target != COMPONENT_UNSPEC) {
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c
index 9062ef2b8767..e81227761f5d 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c
@@ -507,9 +507,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		 * It will still be rejected if users use LIBBPF_STRICT_ALL
 		 * mode for loading generated skeleton.
 		 */
-		libbpf_set_strict_mode(LIBBPF_STRICT_ALL & ~LIBBPF_STRICT_MAP_DEFINITIONS);
-	} else {
-		libbpf_set_strict_mode(LIBBPF_STRICT_AUTO_RLIMIT_MEMLOCK);
+		ret = libbpf_set_strict_mode(LIBBPF_STRICT_ALL & ~LIBBPF_STRICT_MAP_DEFINITIONS);
+		if (ret)
+			p_err("failed to enable libbpf strict mode: %d", ret);
 	}
 
 	argc -= optind;
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h
index 6c311f47147e..589cb76b227a 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ int detect_common_prefix(const char *arg, ...);
 void fprint_hex(FILE *f, void *arg, unsigned int n, const char *sep);
 void usage(void) __noreturn;
 
+void set_max_rlimit(void);
+
 int mount_tracefs(const char *target);
 
 struct obj_ref {
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
index 800834be1bcb..38b6bc9c26c3 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
@@ -1326,6 +1326,8 @@ static int do_create(int argc, char **argv)
 		goto exit;
 	}
 
+	set_max_rlimit();
+
 	fd = bpf_map_create(map_type, map_name, key_size, value_size, max_entries, &attr);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		p_err("map create failed: %s", strerror(errno));
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/pids.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/pids.c
index e2d00d3cd868..bb6c969a114a 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/pids.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/pids.c
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ int build_obj_refs_table(struct hashmap **map, enum bpf_obj_type type)
 		p_err("failed to create hashmap for PID references");
 		return -1;
 	}
+	set_max_rlimit();
 
 	skel = pid_iter_bpf__open();
 	if (!skel) {
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
index e71f0b2da50b..f081de398b60 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
@@ -1590,6 +1590,8 @@ static int load_with_options(int argc, char **argv, bool first_prog_only)
 		}
 	}
 
+	set_max_rlimit();
+
 	if (verifier_logs)
 		/* log_level1 + log_level2 + stats, but not stable UAPI */
 		open_opts.kernel_log_level = 1 + 2 + 4;
@@ -2287,6 +2289,7 @@ static int do_profile(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
+	set_max_rlimit();
 	err = profiler_bpf__load(profile_obj);
 	if (err) {
 		p_err("failed to load profile_obj");
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/struct_ops.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/struct_ops.c
index 2535f079ed67..e08a6ff2866c 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/struct_ops.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/struct_ops.c
@@ -501,6 +501,8 @@ static int do_register(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (libbpf_get_error(obj))
 		return -1;
 
+	set_max_rlimit();
+
 	if (bpf_object__load(obj)) {
 		bpf_object__close(obj);
 		return -1;