diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Documentation/bpftool-map.rst b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Documentation/bpftool-map.rst
index 083db6c2fc67..ca9d62d7e0bd 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Documentation/bpftool-map.rst
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Documentation/bpftool-map.rst
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ MAP COMMANDS
 
 |	**bpftool** **map** { **show** | **list** }   [*MAP*]
 |	**bpftool** **map create**     *FILE* **type** *TYPE* **key** *KEY_SIZE* **value** *VALUE_SIZE* \
-|		**entries** *MAX_ENTRIES* **name** *NAME* [**flags** *FLAGS*] [**dev** *NAME*]
+|		**entries** *MAX_ENTRIES* **name** *NAME* [**flags** *FLAGS*] [**inner_map** *MAP*] \
+|		[**dev** *NAME*]
 |	**bpftool** **map dump**       *MAP*
 |	**bpftool** **map update**     *MAP* [**key** *DATA*] [**value** *VALUE*] [*UPDATE_FLAGS*]
 |	**bpftool** **map lookup**     *MAP* [**key** *DATA*]
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ DESCRIPTION
 		  maps. On such kernels bpftool will automatically emit this
 		  information as well.
 
-	**bpftool map create** *FILE* **type** *TYPE* **key** *KEY_SIZE* **value** *VALUE_SIZE*  **entries** *MAX_ENTRIES* **name** *NAME* [**flags** *FLAGS*] [**dev** *NAME*]
+	**bpftool map create** *FILE* **type** *TYPE* **key** *KEY_SIZE* **value** *VALUE_SIZE*  **entries** *MAX_ENTRIES* **name** *NAME* [**flags** *FLAGS*] [**inner_map** *MAP*] [**dev** *NAME*]
 		  Create a new map with given parameters and pin it to *bpffs*
 		  as *FILE*.
 
@@ -75,6 +76,11 @@ DESCRIPTION
 		  desired flags, e.g. 1024 for **BPF_F_MMAPABLE** (see bpf.h
 		  UAPI header for existing flags).
 
+		  To create maps of type array-of-maps or hash-of-maps, the
+		  **inner_map** keyword must be used to pass an inner map. The
+		  kernel needs it to collect metadata related to the inner maps
+		  that the new map will work with.
+
 		  Keyword **dev** expects a network interface name, and is used
 		  to request hardware offload for the map.
 
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/bash-completion/bpftool b/tools/bpf/bpftool/bash-completion/bpftool
index 7b68e3c0a5fb..3f1da30c4da6 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/bash-completion/bpftool
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/bash-completion/bpftool
@@ -709,9 +709,26 @@ _bpftool()
                                                    "$cur" ) )
                             return 0
                             ;;
-                        key|value|flags|name|entries)
+                        key|value|flags|entries)
                             return 0
                             ;;
+                        inner_map)
+                            COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W "$MAP_TYPE" -- "$cur" ) )
+                            return 0
+                            ;;
+                        id)
+                            _bpftool_get_map_ids
+                            ;;
+                        name)
+                            case $pprev in
+                                inner_map)
+                                    _bpftool_get_map_names
+                                    ;;
+                                *)
+                                    return 0
+                                    ;;
+                            esac
+                            ;;
                         *)
                             _bpftool_once_attr 'type'
                             _bpftool_once_attr 'key'
@@ -719,6 +736,9 @@ _bpftool()
                             _bpftool_once_attr 'entries'
                             _bpftool_once_attr 'name'
                             _bpftool_once_attr 'flags'
+                            if _bpftool_search_list 'array_of_maps' 'hash_of_maps'; then
+                                _bpftool_once_attr 'inner_map'
+                            fi
                             _bpftool_once_attr 'dev'
                             return 0
                             ;;
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
index c8159cb4fb1e..7370fdd57de3 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
@@ -1250,7 +1250,7 @@ static int do_create(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	struct bpf_create_map_attr attr = { NULL, };
 	const char *pinfile;
-	int err, fd;
+	int err = -1, fd;
 
 	if (!REQ_ARGS(7))
 		return -1;
@@ -1265,13 +1265,13 @@ static int do_create(int argc, char **argv)
 
 			if (attr.map_type) {
 				p_err("map type already specified");
-				return -1;
+				goto exit;
 			}
 
 			attr.map_type = map_type_from_str(*argv);
 			if ((int)attr.map_type < 0) {
 				p_err("unrecognized map type: %s", *argv);
-				return -1;
+				goto exit;
 			}
 			NEXT_ARG();
 		} else if (is_prefix(*argv, "name")) {
@@ -1280,43 +1280,56 @@ static int do_create(int argc, char **argv)
 		} else if (is_prefix(*argv, "key")) {
 			if (parse_u32_arg(&argc, &argv, &attr.key_size,
 					  "key size"))
-				return -1;
+				goto exit;
 		} else if (is_prefix(*argv, "value")) {
 			if (parse_u32_arg(&argc, &argv, &attr.value_size,
 					  "value size"))
-				return -1;
+				goto exit;
 		} else if (is_prefix(*argv, "entries")) {
 			if (parse_u32_arg(&argc, &argv, &attr.max_entries,
 					  "max entries"))
-				return -1;
+				goto exit;
 		} else if (is_prefix(*argv, "flags")) {
 			if (parse_u32_arg(&argc, &argv, &attr.map_flags,
 					  "flags"))
-				return -1;
+				goto exit;
 		} else if (is_prefix(*argv, "dev")) {
 			NEXT_ARG();
 
 			if (attr.map_ifindex) {
 				p_err("offload device already specified");
-				return -1;
+				goto exit;
 			}
 
 			attr.map_ifindex = if_nametoindex(*argv);
 			if (!attr.map_ifindex) {
 				p_err("unrecognized netdevice '%s': %s",
 				      *argv, strerror(errno));
-				return -1;
+				goto exit;
 			}
 			NEXT_ARG();
+		} else if (is_prefix(*argv, "inner_map")) {
+			struct bpf_map_info info = {};
+			__u32 len = sizeof(info);
+			int inner_map_fd;
+
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			if (!REQ_ARGS(2))
+				usage();
+			inner_map_fd = map_parse_fd_and_info(&argc, &argv,
+							     &info, &len);
+			if (inner_map_fd < 0)
+				return -1;
+			attr.inner_map_fd = inner_map_fd;
 		} else {
 			p_err("unknown arg %s", *argv);
-			return -1;
+			goto exit;
 		}
 	}
 
 	if (!attr.name) {
 		p_err("map name not specified");
-		return -1;
+		goto exit;
 	}
 
 	set_max_rlimit();
@@ -1324,17 +1337,22 @@ static int do_create(int argc, char **argv)
 	fd = bpf_create_map_xattr(&attr);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		p_err("map create failed: %s", strerror(errno));
-		return -1;
+		goto exit;
 	}
 
 	err = do_pin_fd(fd, pinfile);
 	close(fd);
 	if (err)
-		return err;
+		goto exit;
 
 	if (json_output)
 		jsonw_null(json_wtr);
-	return 0;
+
+exit:
+	if (attr.inner_map_fd > 0)
+		close(attr.inner_map_fd);
+
+	return err;
 }
 
 static int do_pop_dequeue(int argc, char **argv)
@@ -1420,7 +1438,7 @@ static int do_help(int argc, char **argv)
 		"Usage: %1$s %2$s { show | list }   [MAP]\n"
 		"       %1$s %2$s create     FILE type TYPE key KEY_SIZE value VALUE_SIZE \\\n"
 		"                                  entries MAX_ENTRIES name NAME [flags FLAGS] \\\n"
-		"                                  [dev NAME]\n"
+		"                                  [inner_map MAP] [dev NAME]\n"
 		"       %1$s %2$s dump       MAP\n"
 		"       %1$s %2$s update     MAP [key DATA] [value VALUE] [UPDATE_FLAGS]\n"
 		"       %1$s %2$s lookup     MAP [key DATA]\n"
