diff --git a/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.c b/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.c
index dd6fa27..1e406f4 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.c
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 #include "probe-finder.h" // for MAX_PROBES
 #include "llvm-utils.h"
 
+#if BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__END >= LIBBPF_ERRNO__START
+# error Too many BPF loader error code
+#endif
+
 #define DEFINE_PRINT_FN(name, level) \
 static int libbpf_##name(const char *fmt, ...)	\
 {						\
@@ -53,7 +57,7 @@ struct bpf_object *bpf__prepare_load(const char *filename, bool source)
 
 		err = llvm__compile_bpf(filename, &obj_buf, &obj_buf_sz);
 		if (err)
-			return ERR_PTR(err);
+			return ERR_PTR(-BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__ECOMPILE);
 		obj = bpf_object__open_buffer(obj_buf, obj_buf_sz, filename);
 		free(obj_buf);
 	} else
@@ -113,14 +117,14 @@ config_bpf_program(struct bpf_program *prog)
 	if (err < 0) {
 		pr_debug("bpf: '%s' is not a valid config string\n",
 			 config_str);
-		err = -EINVAL;
+		err = -BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__ECONFIG;
 		goto errout;
 	}
 
 	if (pev->group && strcmp(pev->group, PERF_BPF_PROBE_GROUP)) {
 		pr_debug("bpf: '%s': group for event is set and not '%s'.\n",
 			 config_str, PERF_BPF_PROBE_GROUP);
-		err = -EINVAL;
+		err = -BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__EGROUP;
 		goto errout;
 	} else if (!pev->group)
 		pev->group = strdup(PERF_BPF_PROBE_GROUP);
@@ -132,9 +136,9 @@ config_bpf_program(struct bpf_program *prog)
 	}
 
 	if (!pev->event) {
-		pr_debug("bpf: '%s': event name is missing\n",
+		pr_debug("bpf: '%s': event name is missing. Section name should be 'key=value'\n",
 			 config_str);
-		err = -EINVAL;
+		err = -BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__EEVENTNAME;
 		goto errout;
 	}
 	pr_debug("bpf: config '%s' is ok\n", config_str);
@@ -285,7 +289,7 @@ int bpf__foreach_tev(struct bpf_object *obj,
 				(void **)&priv);
 		if (err || !priv) {
 			pr_debug("bpf: failed to get private field\n");
-			return -EINVAL;
+			return -BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__EINTERNAL;
 		}
 
 		pev = &priv->pev;
@@ -308,13 +312,65 @@ int bpf__foreach_tev(struct bpf_object *obj,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+#define ARRAY_SIZE(x) (sizeof(x)/sizeof(x[0]))
+
+struct {
+	int code;
+	const char *msg;
+} bpf_loader_strerror_table[] = {
+	{BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__ECONFIG, "Invalid config string"},
+	{BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__EGROUP, "Invalid group name"},
+	{BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__EEVENTNAME, "No event name found in config string"},
+	{BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__EINTERNAL, "BPF loader internal error"},
+	{BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__ECOMPILE, "Error when compiling BPF scriptlet"},
+};
+
+static int
+bpf_loader_strerror(int err, char *buf, size_t size)
+{
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	if (!buf || !size)
+		return -1;
+
+	err = err > 0 ? err : -err;
+
+	if (err > LIBBPF_ERRNO__START)
+		return libbpf_strerror(err, buf, size);
+
+	if (err < BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__START) {
+		char sbuf[STRERR_BUFSIZE], *msg;
+
+		msg = strerror_r(err, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf));
+		snprintf(buf, size, "%s", msg);
+		buf[size - 1] = '\0';
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(bpf_loader_strerror_table); i++) {
+		if (bpf_loader_strerror_table[i].code == err) {
+			const char *msg;
+
+			msg = bpf_loader_strerror_table[i].msg;
+			snprintf(buf, size, "%s", msg);
+			buf[size - 1] = '\0';
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	snprintf(buf, size, "Unknown bpf loader error %d", err);
+	buf[size - 1] = '\0';
+	return -1;
+}
+
 #define bpf__strerror_head(err, buf, size) \
 	char sbuf[STRERR_BUFSIZE], *emsg;\
 	if (!size)\
 		return 0;\
 	if (err < 0)\
 		err = -err;\
-	emsg = strerror_r(err, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf));\
+	bpf_loader_strerror(err, sbuf, sizeof(sbuf));\
+	emsg = sbuf;\
 	switch (err) {\
 	default:\
 		scnprintf(buf, size, "%s", emsg);\
@@ -330,13 +386,34 @@ int bpf__foreach_tev(struct bpf_object *obj,
 	}\
 	buf[size - 1] = '\0';
 
+int bpf__strerror_prepare_load(const char *filename, bool source,
+			       int err, char *buf, size_t size)
+{
+	size_t n;
+	int ret;
+
+	n = snprintf(buf, size, "Failed to load %s%s: ",
+			 filename, source ? " from source" : "");
+	if (n >= size) {
+		buf[size - 1] = '\0';
+		return 0;
+	}
+	buf += n;
+	size -= n;
+
+	ret = bpf_loader_strerror(err, buf, size);
+	buf[size - 1] = '\0';
+	return ret;
+}
+
 int bpf__strerror_probe(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused,
 			int err, char *buf, size_t size)
 {
 	bpf__strerror_head(err, buf, size);
 	bpf__strerror_entry(EEXIST, "Probe point exist. Try use 'perf probe -d \"*\"'");
-	bpf__strerror_entry(EPERM, "You need to be root, and /proc/sys/kernel/kptr_restrict should be 0\n");
-	bpf__strerror_entry(ENOENT, "You need to check probing points in BPF file\n");
+	bpf__strerror_entry(EACCES, "You need to be root");
+	bpf__strerror_entry(EPERM, "You need to be root, and /proc/sys/kernel/kptr_restrict should be 0");
+	bpf__strerror_entry(ENOENT, "You need to check probing points in BPF file");
 	bpf__strerror_end(buf, size);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -345,7 +422,8 @@ int bpf__strerror_load(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused,
 		       int err, char *buf, size_t size)
 {
 	bpf__strerror_head(err, buf, size);
-	bpf__strerror_entry(EINVAL, "%s: Are you root and runing a CONFIG_BPF_SYSCALL kernel?",
+	bpf__strerror_entry(LIBBPF_ERRNO__ELOAD,
+			    "%s: Validate your program and check 'license'/'version' sections in your object",
 			    emsg)
 	bpf__strerror_end(buf, size);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.h b/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.h
index ccd8d7f..490c78c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.h
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@
 #include "probe-event.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 
+#define BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__START		3900
+#define BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__ECONFIG 	3900 /* Invalid config string */
+#define BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__EGROUP 	3901 /* Invalid group name */
+#define BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__EEVENTNAME	3902 /* Event name is missing */
+#define BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__EINTERNAL	3903 /* BPF loader internal error */
+#define BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__ECOMPILE	3904 /* Error when compiling BPF scriptlet */
+#define BPF_LOADER_ERRNO__END		3905
+
 struct bpf_object;
 #define PERF_BPF_PROBE_GROUP "perf_bpf_probe"
 
@@ -19,6 +27,8 @@ typedef int (*bpf_prog_iter_callback_t)(struct probe_trace_event *tev,
 
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBBPF_SUPPORT
 struct bpf_object *bpf__prepare_load(const char *filename, bool source);
+int bpf__strerror_prepare_load(const char *filename, bool source,
+			       int err, char *buf, size_t size);
 
 void bpf__clear(void);
 
@@ -67,6 +77,14 @@ __bpf_strerror(char *buf, size_t size)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int bpf__strerror_prepare_load(const char *filename __maybe_unused,
+			       bool source __maybe_unused,
+			       int err __maybe_unused,
+			       char *buf, size_t size)
+{
+	return __bpf_strerror(buf, size);
+}
+
 static inline int
 bpf__strerror_probe(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused,
 		    int err __maybe_unused,
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index bee6058..6b07027 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -642,9 +642,10 @@ int parse_events_load_bpf(struct parse_events_evlist *data,
 			snprintf(errbuf, sizeof(errbuf),
 				 "BPF support is not compiled");
 		else
-			snprintf(errbuf, sizeof(errbuf),
-				 "BPF object file '%s' is invalid",
-				 bpf_file_name);
+			bpf__strerror_prepare_load(bpf_file_name,
+						   source,
+						   -err, errbuf,
+						   sizeof(errbuf));
 
 		data->error->help = strdup("(add -v to see detail)");
 		data->error->str = strdup(errbuf);
