diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/btf.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/btf.c
index 385d5c955cf3..9162a18e84c0 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/btf.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/btf.c
@@ -580,16 +580,12 @@ static int do_dump(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	if (!btf) {
-		err = btf__get_from_id(btf_id, &btf);
+		btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(btf_id);
+		err = libbpf_get_error(btf);
 		if (err) {
 			p_err("get btf by id (%u): %s", btf_id, strerror(err));
 			goto done;
 		}
-		if (!btf) {
-			err = -ENOENT;
-			p_err("can't find btf with ID (%u)", btf_id);
-			goto done;
-		}
 	}
 
 	if (dump_c) {
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/btf_dumper.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/btf_dumper.c
index 7ca54d046362..9c25286a5c73 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/btf_dumper.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/btf_dumper.c
@@ -64,8 +64,10 @@ static int dump_prog_id_as_func_ptr(const struct btf_dumper *d,
 	}
 	info = &prog_info->info;
 
-	if (!info->btf_id || !info->nr_func_info ||
-	    btf__get_from_id(info->btf_id, &prog_btf))
+	if (!info->btf_id || !info->nr_func_info)
+		goto print;
+	prog_btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(info->btf_id);
+	if (libbpf_get_error(prog_btf))
 		goto print;
 	finfo = u64_to_ptr(info->func_info);
 	func_type = btf__type_by_id(prog_btf, finfo->type_id);
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
index 09ae0381205b..12787758ce03 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
@@ -805,12 +805,11 @@ static struct btf *get_map_kv_btf(const struct bpf_map_info *info)
 		}
 		return btf_vmlinux;
 	} else if (info->btf_value_type_id) {
-		int err;
-
-		err = btf__get_from_id(info->btf_id, &btf);
-		if (err || !btf) {
+		btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(info->btf_id);
+		if (libbpf_get_error(btf)) {
 			p_err("failed to get btf");
-			btf = err ? ERR_PTR(err) : ERR_PTR(-ESRCH);
+			if (!btf)
+				btf = ERR_PTR(-ESRCH);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1039,11 +1038,10 @@ static void print_key_value(struct bpf_map_info *info, void *key,
 			    void *value)
 {
 	json_writer_t *btf_wtr;
-	struct btf *btf = NULL;
-	int err;
+	struct btf *btf;
 
-	err = btf__get_from_id(info->btf_id, &btf);
-	if (err) {
+	btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(info->btf_id);
+	if (libbpf_get_error(btf)) {
 		p_err("failed to get btf");
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
index cc48726740ad..b1996b8f1d42 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
@@ -249,10 +249,10 @@ static void show_prog_metadata(int fd, __u32 num_maps)
 	struct bpf_map_info map_info;
 	struct btf_var_secinfo *vsi;
 	bool printed_header = false;
-	struct btf *btf = NULL;
 	unsigned int i, vlen;
 	void *value = NULL;
 	const char *name;
+	struct btf *btf;
 	int err;
 
 	if (!num_maps)
@@ -263,8 +263,8 @@ static void show_prog_metadata(int fd, __u32 num_maps)
 	if (!value)
 		return;
 
-	err = btf__get_from_id(map_info.btf_id, &btf);
-	if (err || !btf)
+	btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(map_info.btf_id);
+	if (libbpf_get_error(btf))
 		goto out_free;
 
 	t_datasec = btf__type_by_id(btf, map_info.btf_value_type_id);
@@ -646,9 +646,12 @@ prog_dump(struct bpf_prog_info *info, enum dump_mode mode,
 		member_len = info->xlated_prog_len;
 	}
 
-	if (info->btf_id && btf__get_from_id(info->btf_id, &btf)) {
-		p_err("failed to get btf");
-		return -1;
+	if (info->btf_id) {
+		btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(info->btf_id);
+		if (libbpf_get_error(btf)) {
+			p_err("failed to get btf");
+			return -1;
+		}
 	}
 
 	func_info = u64_to_ptr(info->func_info);
@@ -781,6 +784,8 @@ prog_dump(struct bpf_prog_info *info, enum dump_mode mode,
 		kernel_syms_destroy(&dd);
 	}
 
+	btf__free(btf);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2002,8 +2007,8 @@ static char *profile_target_name(int tgt_fd)
 	struct bpf_prog_info_linear *info_linear;
 	struct bpf_func_info *func_info;
 	const struct btf_type *t;
+	struct btf *btf = NULL;
 	char *name = NULL;
-	struct btf *btf;
 
 	info_linear = bpf_program__get_prog_info_linear(
 		tgt_fd, 1UL << BPF_PROG_INFO_FUNC_INFO);
@@ -2012,12 +2017,17 @@ static char *profile_target_name(int tgt_fd)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (info_linear->info.btf_id == 0 ||
-	    btf__get_from_id(info_linear->info.btf_id, &btf)) {
+	if (info_linear->info.btf_id == 0) {
 		p_err("prog FD %d doesn't have valid btf", tgt_fd);
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(info_linear->info.btf_id);
+	if (libbpf_get_error(btf)) {
+		p_err("failed to load btf for prog FD %d", tgt_fd);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	func_info = u64_to_ptr(info_linear->info.func_info);
 	t = btf__type_by_id(btf, func_info[0].type_id);
 	if (!t) {
@@ -2027,6 +2037,7 @@ static char *profile_target_name(int tgt_fd)
 	}
 	name = strdup(btf__name_by_offset(btf, t->name_off));
 out:
+	btf__free(btf);
 	free(info_linear);
 	return name;
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/bpf-event.c b/tools/perf/util/bpf-event.c
index cdecda1ddd36..996d025b8ed8 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/bpf-event.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/bpf-event.c
@@ -223,10 +223,10 @@ static int perf_event__synthesize_one_bpf_prog(struct perf_session *session,
 			free(info_linear);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		if (btf__get_from_id(info->btf_id, &btf)) {
+		btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(info->btf_id);
+		if (libbpf_get_error(btf)) {
 			pr_debug("%s: failed to get BTF of id %u, aborting\n", __func__, info->btf_id);
 			err = -1;
-			btf = NULL;
 			goto out;
 		}
 		perf_env__fetch_btf(env, info->btf_id, btf);
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ static int perf_event__synthesize_one_bpf_prog(struct perf_session *session,
 
 out:
 	free(info_linear);
-	free(btf);
+	btf__free(btf);
 	return err ? -1 : 0;
 }
 
@@ -478,7 +478,8 @@ static void perf_env__add_bpf_info(struct perf_env *env, u32 id)
 	if (btf_id == 0)
 		goto out;
 
-	if (btf__get_from_id(btf_id, &btf)) {
+	btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(btf_id);
+	if (libbpf_get_error(btf)) {
 		pr_debug("%s: failed to get BTF of id %u, aborting\n",
 			 __func__, btf_id);
 		goto out;
@@ -486,7 +487,7 @@ static void perf_env__add_bpf_info(struct perf_env *env, u32 id)
 	perf_env__fetch_btf(env, btf_id, btf);
 
 out:
-	free(btf);
+	btf__free(btf);
 	close(fd);
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/bpf_counter.c b/tools/perf/util/bpf_counter.c
index 8150e03367bb..ba0f20853651 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/bpf_counter.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/bpf_counter.c
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ static char *bpf_target_prog_name(int tgt_fd)
 	struct bpf_prog_info_linear *info_linear;
 	struct bpf_func_info *func_info;
 	const struct btf_type *t;
+	struct btf *btf = NULL;
 	char *name = NULL;
-	struct btf *btf;
 
 	info_linear = bpf_program__get_prog_info_linear(
 		tgt_fd, 1UL << BPF_PROG_INFO_FUNC_INFO);
@@ -74,12 +74,17 @@ static char *bpf_target_prog_name(int tgt_fd)
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (info_linear->info.btf_id == 0 ||
-	    btf__get_from_id(info_linear->info.btf_id, &btf)) {
+	if (info_linear->info.btf_id == 0) {
 		pr_debug("prog FD %d doesn't have valid btf\n", tgt_fd);
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(info_linear->info.btf_id);
+	if (libbpf_get_error(btf)) {
+		pr_debug("failed to load btf for prog FD %d\n", tgt_fd);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	func_info = u64_to_ptr(info_linear->info.func_info);
 	t = btf__type_by_id(btf, func_info[0].type_id);
 	if (!t) {
@@ -89,6 +94,7 @@ static char *bpf_target_prog_name(int tgt_fd)
 	}
 	name = strdup(btf__name_by_offset(btf, t->name_off));
 out:
+	btf__free(btf);
 	free(info_linear);
 	return name;
 }
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/btf.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/btf.c
index 857e3f26086f..649f87382c8d 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/btf.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/btf.c
@@ -4350,7 +4350,8 @@ static void do_test_file(unsigned int test_num)
 		goto done;
 	}
 
-	err = btf__get_from_id(info.btf_id, &btf);
+	btf = btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(info.btf_id);
+	err = libbpf_get_error(btf);
 	if (CHECK(err, "cannot get btf from kernel, err: %d", err))
 		goto done;
 
@@ -4386,6 +4387,7 @@ static void do_test_file(unsigned int test_num)
 	fprintf(stderr, "OK");
 
 done:
+	btf__free(btf);
 	free(func_info);
 	bpf_object__close(obj);
 }
