diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/linker.c b/tools/lib/bpf/linker.c
index 4e08bc07e635..0bb927226370 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/linker.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/linker.c
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ static int init_output_elf(struct bpf_linker *linker, const char *file);
 
 static int linker_load_obj_file(struct bpf_linker *linker, const char *filename, struct src_obj *obj);
 static int linker_sanity_check_elf(struct src_obj *obj);
+static int linker_sanity_check_elf_symtab(struct src_obj *obj, struct src_sec *sec);
+static int linker_sanity_check_elf_relos(struct src_obj *obj, struct src_sec *sec);
 static int linker_sanity_check_btf(struct src_obj *obj);
 static int linker_sanity_check_btf_ext(struct src_obj *obj);
 static int linker_fixup_btf(struct src_obj *obj);
@@ -663,8 +665,8 @@ static bool is_pow_of_2(size_t x)
 
 static int linker_sanity_check_elf(struct src_obj *obj)
 {
-	struct src_sec *sec, *link_sec;
-	int i, j, n;
+	struct src_sec *sec;
+	int i, err;
 
 	if (!obj->symtab_sec_idx) {
 		pr_warn("ELF is missing SYMTAB section in %s\n", obj->filename);
@@ -692,43 +694,11 @@ static int linker_sanity_check_elf(struct src_obj *obj)
 			return -EINVAL;
 
 		switch (sec->shdr->sh_type) {
-		case SHT_SYMTAB: {
-			Elf64_Sym *sym;
-
-			if (sec->shdr->sh_entsize != sizeof(Elf64_Sym))
-				return -EINVAL;
-			if (sec->shdr->sh_size % sec->shdr->sh_entsize != 0)
-				return -EINVAL;
-
-			if (!sec->shdr->sh_link || sec->shdr->sh_link >= obj->sec_cnt) {
-				pr_warn("ELF SYMTAB section #%zu points to missing STRTAB section #%zu in %s\n",
-					sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_link, obj->filename);
-				return -EINVAL;
-			}
-			link_sec = &obj->secs[sec->shdr->sh_link];
-			if (link_sec->shdr->sh_type != SHT_STRTAB) {
-				pr_warn("ELF SYMTAB section #%zu points to invalid STRTAB section #%zu in %s\n",
-					sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_link, obj->filename);
-				return -EINVAL;
-			}
-
-			n = sec->shdr->sh_size / sec->shdr->sh_entsize;
-			sym = sec->data->d_buf;
-			for (j = 0; j < n; j++, sym++) {
-				if (sym->st_shndx
-				    && sym->st_shndx < SHN_LORESERVE
-				    && sym->st_shndx >= obj->sec_cnt) {
-					pr_warn("ELF sym #%d in section #%zu points to missing section #%zu in %s\n",
-						j, sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sym->st_shndx, obj->filename);
-					return -EINVAL;
-				}
-				if (ELF64_ST_TYPE(sym->st_info) == STT_SECTION) {
-					if (sym->st_value != 0)
-						return -EINVAL;
-				}
-			}
+		case SHT_SYMTAB:
+			err = linker_sanity_check_elf_symtab(obj, sec);
+			if (err)
+				return err;
 			break;
-		}
 		case SHT_STRTAB:
 			break;
 		case SHT_PROGBITS:
@@ -739,87 +709,138 @@ static int linker_sanity_check_elf(struct src_obj *obj)
 			break;
 		case SHT_NOBITS:
 			break;
-		case SHT_REL: {
-			Elf64_Rel *relo;
-			struct src_sec *sym_sec;
+		case SHT_REL:
+			err = linker_sanity_check_elf_relos(obj, sec);
+			if (err)
+				return err;
+			break;
+		case SHT_LLVM_ADDRSIG:
+			break;
+		default:
+			pr_warn("ELF section #%zu (%s) has unrecognized type %zu in %s\n",
+				sec->sec_idx, sec->sec_name, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_type, obj->filename);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+	}
 
-			if (sec->shdr->sh_entsize != sizeof(Elf64_Rel))
-				return -EINVAL;
-			if (sec->shdr->sh_size % sec->shdr->sh_entsize != 0)
-				return -EINVAL;
+	return 0;
+}
 
-			/* SHT_REL's sh_link should point to SYMTAB */
-			if (sec->shdr->sh_link != obj->symtab_sec_idx) {
-				pr_warn("ELF relo section #%zu points to invalid SYMTAB section #%zu in %s\n",
-					sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_link, obj->filename);
-				return -EINVAL;
-			}
+static int linker_sanity_check_elf_symtab(struct src_obj *obj, struct src_sec *sec)
+{
+	struct src_sec *link_sec;
+	Elf64_Sym *sym;
+	int i, n;
 
-			/* SHT_REL's sh_info points to relocated section */
-			if (!sec->shdr->sh_info || sec->shdr->sh_info >= obj->sec_cnt) {
-				pr_warn("ELF relo section #%zu points to missing section #%zu in %s\n",
-					sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_info, obj->filename);
-				return -EINVAL;
-			}
-			link_sec = &obj->secs[sec->shdr->sh_info];
+	if (sec->shdr->sh_entsize != sizeof(Elf64_Sym))
+		return -EINVAL;
+	if (sec->shdr->sh_size % sec->shdr->sh_entsize != 0)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (!sec->shdr->sh_link || sec->shdr->sh_link >= obj->sec_cnt) {
+		pr_warn("ELF SYMTAB section #%zu points to missing STRTAB section #%zu in %s\n",
+			sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_link, obj->filename);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+	link_sec = &obj->secs[sec->shdr->sh_link];
+	if (link_sec->shdr->sh_type != SHT_STRTAB) {
+		pr_warn("ELF SYMTAB section #%zu points to invalid STRTAB section #%zu in %s\n",
+			sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_link, obj->filename);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 
-			/* .rel<secname> -> <secname> pattern is followed */
-			if (strncmp(sec->sec_name, ".rel", sizeof(".rel") - 1) != 0
-			    || strcmp(sec->sec_name + sizeof(".rel") - 1, link_sec->sec_name) != 0) {
-				pr_warn("ELF relo section #%zu name has invalid name in %s\n",
-					sec->sec_idx, obj->filename);
+	n = sec->shdr->sh_size / sec->shdr->sh_entsize;
+	sym = sec->data->d_buf;
+	for (i = 0; i < n; i++, sym++) {
+		if (sym->st_shndx
+		    && sym->st_shndx < SHN_LORESERVE
+		    && sym->st_shndx >= obj->sec_cnt) {
+			pr_warn("ELF sym #%d in section #%zu points to missing section #%zu in %s\n",
+				i, sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sym->st_shndx, obj->filename);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+		if (ELF64_ST_TYPE(sym->st_info) == STT_SECTION) {
+			if (sym->st_value != 0)
 				return -EINVAL;
-			}
+			continue;
+		}
+	}
 
-			/* don't further validate relocations for ignored sections */
-			if (link_sec->skipped)
-				break;
+	return 0;
+}
 
-			/* relocatable section is data or instructions */
-			if (link_sec->shdr->sh_type != SHT_PROGBITS
-			    && link_sec->shdr->sh_type != SHT_NOBITS) {
-				pr_warn("ELF relo section #%zu points to invalid section #%zu in %s\n",
-					sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_info, obj->filename);
-				return -EINVAL;
-			}
+static int linker_sanity_check_elf_relos(struct src_obj *obj, struct src_sec *sec)
+{
+	struct src_sec *link_sec, *sym_sec;
+	Elf64_Rel *relo;
+	int i, n;
 
-			/* check sanity of each relocation */
-			n = sec->shdr->sh_size / sec->shdr->sh_entsize;
-			relo = sec->data->d_buf;
-			sym_sec = &obj->secs[obj->symtab_sec_idx];
-			for (j = 0; j < n; j++, relo++) {
-				size_t sym_idx = ELF64_R_SYM(relo->r_info);
-				size_t sym_type = ELF64_R_TYPE(relo->r_info);
-
-				if (sym_type != R_BPF_64_64 && sym_type != R_BPF_64_32) {
-					pr_warn("ELF relo #%d in section #%zu has unexpected type %zu in %s\n",
-						j, sec->sec_idx, sym_type, obj->filename);
-					return -EINVAL;
-				}
+	if (sec->shdr->sh_entsize != sizeof(Elf64_Rel))
+		return -EINVAL;
+	if (sec->shdr->sh_size % sec->shdr->sh_entsize != 0)
+		return -EINVAL;
 
-				if (!sym_idx || sym_idx * sizeof(Elf64_Sym) >= sym_sec->shdr->sh_size) {
-					pr_warn("ELF relo #%d in section #%zu points to invalid symbol #%zu in %s\n",
-						j, sec->sec_idx, sym_idx, obj->filename);
-					return -EINVAL;
-				}
+	/* SHT_REL's sh_link should point to SYMTAB */
+	if (sec->shdr->sh_link != obj->symtab_sec_idx) {
+		pr_warn("ELF relo section #%zu points to invalid SYMTAB section #%zu in %s\n",
+			sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_link, obj->filename);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 
-				if (link_sec->shdr->sh_flags & SHF_EXECINSTR) {
-					if (relo->r_offset % sizeof(struct bpf_insn) != 0) {
-						pr_warn("ELF relo #%d in section #%zu points to missing symbol #%zu in %s\n",
-							j, sec->sec_idx, sym_idx, obj->filename);
-						return -EINVAL;
-					}
-				}
-			}
-			break;
+	/* SHT_REL's sh_info points to relocated section */
+	if (!sec->shdr->sh_info || sec->shdr->sh_info >= obj->sec_cnt) {
+		pr_warn("ELF relo section #%zu points to missing section #%zu in %s\n",
+			sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_info, obj->filename);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+	link_sec = &obj->secs[sec->shdr->sh_info];
+
+	/* .rel<secname> -> <secname> pattern is followed */
+	if (strncmp(sec->sec_name, ".rel", sizeof(".rel") - 1) != 0
+	    || strcmp(sec->sec_name + sizeof(".rel") - 1, link_sec->sec_name) != 0) {
+		pr_warn("ELF relo section #%zu name has invalid name in %s\n",
+			sec->sec_idx, obj->filename);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	/* don't further validate relocations for ignored sections */
+	if (link_sec->skipped)
+		return 0;
+
+	/* relocatable section is data or instructions */
+	if (link_sec->shdr->sh_type != SHT_PROGBITS && link_sec->shdr->sh_type != SHT_NOBITS) {
+		pr_warn("ELF relo section #%zu points to invalid section #%zu in %s\n",
+			sec->sec_idx, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_info, obj->filename);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	/* check sanity of each relocation */
+	n = sec->shdr->sh_size / sec->shdr->sh_entsize;
+	relo = sec->data->d_buf;
+	sym_sec = &obj->secs[obj->symtab_sec_idx];
+	for (i = 0; i < n; i++, relo++) {
+		size_t sym_idx = ELF64_R_SYM(relo->r_info);
+		size_t sym_type = ELF64_R_TYPE(relo->r_info);
+
+		if (sym_type != R_BPF_64_64 && sym_type != R_BPF_64_32) {
+			pr_warn("ELF relo #%d in section #%zu has unexpected type %zu in %s\n",
+				i, sec->sec_idx, sym_type, obj->filename);
+			return -EINVAL;
 		}
-		case SHT_LLVM_ADDRSIG:
-			break;
-		default:
-			pr_warn("ELF section #%zu (%s) has unrecognized type %zu in %s\n",
-				sec->sec_idx, sec->sec_name, (size_t)sec->shdr->sh_type, obj->filename);
+
+		if (!sym_idx || sym_idx * sizeof(Elf64_Sym) >= sym_sec->shdr->sh_size) {
+			pr_warn("ELF relo #%d in section #%zu points to invalid symbol #%zu in %s\n",
+				i, sec->sec_idx, sym_idx, obj->filename);
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
+
+		if (link_sec->shdr->sh_flags & SHF_EXECINSTR) {
+			if (relo->r_offset % sizeof(struct bpf_insn) != 0) {
+				pr_warn("ELF relo #%d in section #%zu points to missing symbol #%zu in %s\n",
+					i, sec->sec_idx, sym_idx, obj->filename);
+				return -EINVAL;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	return 0;
