diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Documentation/bpftool-map.rst b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Documentation/bpftool-map.rst
index 457e868bd32f..5f512b14bff9 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Documentation/bpftool-map.rst
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Documentation/bpftool-map.rst
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ MAP COMMANDS
 
 |	**bpftool** **map { show | list }**   [*MAP*]
 |	**bpftool** **map dump**    *MAP*
-|	**bpftool** **map update**  *MAP*  **key** *BYTES*   **value** *VALUE* [*UPDATE_FLAGS*]
-|	**bpftool** **map lookup**  *MAP*  **key** *BYTES*
-|	**bpftool** **map getnext** *MAP* [**key** *BYTES*]
-|	**bpftool** **map delete**  *MAP*  **key** *BYTES*
+|	**bpftool** **map update**  *MAP*  **key** [**hex**] *BYTES*   **value** [**hex**] *VALUE* [*UPDATE_FLAGS*]
+|	**bpftool** **map lookup**  *MAP*  **key** [**hex**] *BYTES*
+|	**bpftool** **map getnext** *MAP* [**key** [**hex**] *BYTES*]
+|	**bpftool** **map delete**  *MAP*  **key** [**hex**] *BYTES*
 |	**bpftool** **map pin**     *MAP*  *FILE*
 |	**bpftool** **map help**
 |
@@ -48,20 +48,26 @@ DESCRIPTION
 	**bpftool map dump**    *MAP*
 		  Dump all entries in a given *MAP*.
 
-	**bpftool map update**  *MAP*  **key** *BYTES*   **value** *VALUE* [*UPDATE_FLAGS*]
+	**bpftool map update**  *MAP*  **key** [**hex**] *BYTES*   **value** [**hex**] *VALUE* [*UPDATE_FLAGS*]
 		  Update map entry for a given *KEY*.
 
 		  *UPDATE_FLAGS* can be one of: **any** update existing entry
 		  or add if doesn't exit; **exist** update only if entry already
 		  exists; **noexist** update only if entry doesn't exist.
 
-	**bpftool map lookup**  *MAP*  **key** *BYTES*
+		  If the **hex** keyword is provided in front of the bytes
+		  sequence, the bytes are parsed as hexadeximal values, even if
+		  no "0x" prefix is added. If the keyword is not provided, then
+		  the bytes are parsed as decimal values, unless a "0x" prefix
+		  (for hexadecimal) or a "0" prefix (for octal) is provided.
+
+	**bpftool map lookup**  *MAP*  **key** [**hex**] *BYTES*
 		  Lookup **key** in the map.
 
-	**bpftool map getnext** *MAP* [**key** *BYTES*]
+	**bpftool map getnext** *MAP* [**key** [**hex**] *BYTES*]
 		  Get next key.  If *key* is not specified, get first key.
 
-	**bpftool map delete**  *MAP*  **key** *BYTES*
+	**bpftool map delete**  *MAP*  **key** [**hex**] *BYTES*
 		  Remove entry from the map.
 
 	**bpftool map pin**     *MAP*  *FILE*
@@ -98,7 +104,12 @@ EXAMPLES
   10: hash  name some_map  flags 0x0
 	key 4B  value 8B  max_entries 2048  memlock 167936B
 
-**# bpftool map update id 10 key 13 00 07 00 value 02 00 00 00 01 02 03 04**
+The following three commands are equivalent:
+
+|
+| **# bpftool map update id 10 key hex   20   c4   b7   00 value hex   0f   ff   ff   ab   01   02   03   4c**
+| **# bpftool map update id 10 key     0x20 0xc4 0xb7 0x00 value     0x0f 0xff 0xff 0xab 0x01 0x02 0x03 0x4c**
+| **# bpftool map update id 10 key       32  196  183    0 value       15  255  255  171    1    2    3   76**
 
 **# bpftool map lookup id 10 key 0 1 2 3**
 
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/bash-completion/bpftool b/tools/bpf/bpftool/bash-completion/bpftool
index c01b2deb1c77..852d84a98acd 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/bash-completion/bpftool
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/bash-completion/bpftool
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ _bpftool()
 
     # Deal with simplest keywords
     case $prev in
-        help|key|opcodes|visual)
+        help|hex|opcodes|visual)
             return 0
             ;;
         tag)
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ _bpftool()
                             return 0
                             ;;
                         key)
-                            return 0
+                            COMPREPLY+=( $( compgen -W 'hex' -- "$cur" ) )
                             ;;
                         *)
                             _bpftool_once_attr 'key'
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ _bpftool()
                             return 0
                             ;;
                         key)
-                            return 0
+                            COMPREPLY+=( $( compgen -W 'hex' -- "$cur" ) )
                             ;;
                         value)
                             # We can have bytes, or references to a prog or a
@@ -321,6 +321,8 @@ _bpftool()
                                     return 0
                                     ;;
                                 *)
+                                    COMPREPLY+=( $( compgen -W 'hex' \
+                                        -- "$cur" ) )
                                     return 0
                                     ;;
                             esac
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
index f509c86faede..a6cdb640a0d7 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/map.c
@@ -283,11 +283,16 @@ static void print_entry_plain(struct bpf_map_info *info, unsigned char *key,
 static char **parse_bytes(char **argv, const char *name, unsigned char *val,
 			  unsigned int n)
 {
-	unsigned int i = 0;
+	unsigned int i = 0, base = 0;
 	char *endptr;
 
+	if (is_prefix(*argv, "hex")) {
+		base = 16;
+		argv++;
+	}
+
 	while (i < n && argv[i]) {
-		val[i] = strtoul(argv[i], &endptr, 0);
+		val[i] = strtoul(argv[i], &endptr, base);
 		if (*endptr) {
 			p_err("error parsing byte: %s", argv[i]);
 			return NULL;
@@ -869,10 +874,10 @@ static int do_help(int argc, char **argv)
 	fprintf(stderr,
 		"Usage: %s %s { show | list }   [MAP]\n"
 		"       %s %s dump    MAP\n"
-		"       %s %s update  MAP  key BYTES value VALUE [UPDATE_FLAGS]\n"
-		"       %s %s lookup  MAP  key BYTES\n"
-		"       %s %s getnext MAP [key BYTES]\n"
-		"       %s %s delete  MAP  key BYTES\n"
+		"       %s %s update  MAP  key [hex] BYTES value [hex] VALUE [UPDATE_FLAGS]\n"
+		"       %s %s lookup  MAP  key [hex] BYTES\n"
+		"       %s %s getnext MAP [key [hex] BYTES]\n"
+		"       %s %s delete  MAP  key [hex] BYTES\n"
 		"       %s %s pin     MAP  FILE\n"
 		"       %s %s help\n"
 		"\n"