diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index e0276520171b..024334b29b54 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <linux/limits.h>
 #include <linux/perf_event.h>
 #include <linux/ring_buffer.h>
+#include <linux/version.h>
 #include <sys/epoll.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
@@ -255,7 +256,7 @@ struct bpf_object {
 	 */
 	struct {
 		int fd;
-		void *obj_buf;
+		const void *obj_buf;
 		size_t obj_buf_sz;
 		Elf *elf;
 		GElf_Ehdr ehdr;
@@ -491,8 +492,19 @@ bpf_object__init_prog_names(struct bpf_object *obj)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static __u32 get_kernel_version(void)
+{
+	__u32 major, minor, patch;
+	struct utsname info;
+
+	uname(&info);
+	if (sscanf(info.release, "%u.%u.%u", &major, &minor, &patch) != 3)
+		return 0;
+	return KERNEL_VERSION(major, minor, patch);
+}
+
 static struct bpf_object *bpf_object__new(const char *path,
-					  void *obj_buf,
+					  const void *obj_buf,
 					  size_t obj_buf_sz)
 {
 	struct bpf_object *obj;
@@ -526,6 +538,7 @@ static struct bpf_object *bpf_object__new(const char *path,
 	obj->efile.rodata_shndx = -1;
 	obj->efile.bss_shndx = -1;
 
+	obj->kern_version = get_kernel_version();
 	obj->loaded = false;
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&obj->list);
@@ -569,7 +582,7 @@ static int bpf_object__elf_init(struct bpf_object *obj)
 		 * obj_buf should have been validated by
 		 * bpf_object__open_buffer().
 		 */
-		obj->efile.elf = elf_memory(obj->efile.obj_buf,
+		obj->efile.elf = elf_memory((char *)obj->efile.obj_buf,
 					    obj->efile.obj_buf_sz);
 	} else {
 		obj->efile.fd = open(obj->path, O_RDONLY);
@@ -636,21 +649,6 @@ bpf_object__init_license(struct bpf_object *obj, void *data, size_t size)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-bpf_object__init_kversion(struct bpf_object *obj, void *data, size_t size)
-{
-	__u32 kver;
-
-	if (size != sizeof(kver)) {
-		pr_warning("invalid kver section in %s\n", obj->path);
-		return -LIBBPF_ERRNO__FORMAT;
-	}
-	memcpy(&kver, data, sizeof(kver));
-	obj->kern_version = kver;
-	pr_debug("kernel version of %s is %x\n", obj->path, obj->kern_version);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int compare_bpf_map(const void *_a, const void *_b)
 {
 	const struct bpf_map *a = _a;
@@ -1568,11 +1566,7 @@ static int bpf_object__elf_collect(struct bpf_object *obj, int flags)
 			if (err)
 				return err;
 		} else if (strcmp(name, "version") == 0) {
-			err = bpf_object__init_kversion(obj,
-							data->d_buf,
-							data->d_size);
-			if (err)
-				return err;
+			/* skip, we don't need it anymore */
 		} else if (strcmp(name, "maps") == 0) {
 			obj->efile.maps_shndx = idx;
 		} else if (strcmp(name, MAPS_ELF_SEC) == 0) {
@@ -3551,54 +3545,9 @@ bpf_object__load_progs(struct bpf_object *obj, int log_level)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static bool bpf_prog_type__needs_kver(enum bpf_prog_type type)
-{
-	switch (type) {
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SOCKET_FILTER:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_CLS:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_ACT:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_XDP:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_SKB:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_SOCK:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LWT_IN:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LWT_OUT:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LWT_XMIT:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LWT_SEG6LOCAL:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SOCK_OPS:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_SKB:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_DEVICE:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_MSG:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_SOCK_ADDR:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LIRC_MODE2:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_REUSEPORT:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_FLOW_DISSECTOR:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_UNSPEC:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACEPOINT:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_RAW_TRACEPOINT:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_RAW_TRACEPOINT_WRITABLE:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_PERF_EVENT:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_SYSCTL:
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_CGROUP_SOCKOPT:
-		return false;
-	case BPF_PROG_TYPE_KPROBE:
-	default:
-		return true;
-	}
-}
-
-static int bpf_object__validate(struct bpf_object *obj, bool needs_kver)
-{
-	if (needs_kver && obj->kern_version == 0) {
-		pr_warning("%s doesn't provide kernel version\n",
-			   obj->path);
-		return -LIBBPF_ERRNO__KVERSION;
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static struct bpf_object *
-__bpf_object__open(const char *path, void *obj_buf, size_t obj_buf_sz,
-		   bool needs_kver, int flags)
+__bpf_object__open(const char *path, const void *obj_buf, size_t obj_buf_sz,
+		   int flags)
 {
 	struct bpf_object *obj;
 	int err;
@@ -3617,7 +3566,6 @@ __bpf_object__open(const char *path, void *obj_buf, size_t obj_buf_sz,
 	CHECK_ERR(bpf_object__probe_caps(obj), err, out);
 	CHECK_ERR(bpf_object__elf_collect(obj, flags), err, out);
 	CHECK_ERR(bpf_object__collect_reloc(obj), err, out);
-	CHECK_ERR(bpf_object__validate(obj, needs_kver), err, out);
 
 	bpf_object__elf_finish(obj);
 	return obj;
@@ -3626,8 +3574,8 @@ out:
 	return ERR_PTR(err);
 }
 
-struct bpf_object *__bpf_object__open_xattr(struct bpf_object_open_attr *attr,
-					    int flags)
+static struct bpf_object *
+__bpf_object__open_xattr(struct bpf_object_open_attr *attr, int flags)
 {
 	/* param validation */
 	if (!attr->file)
@@ -3635,9 +3583,7 @@ struct bpf_object *__bpf_object__open_xattr(struct bpf_object_open_attr *attr,
 
 	pr_debug("loading %s\n", attr->file);
 
-	return __bpf_object__open(attr->file, NULL, 0,
-				  bpf_prog_type__needs_kver(attr->prog_type),
-				  flags);
+	return __bpf_object__open(attr->file, NULL, 0, flags);
 }
 
 struct bpf_object *bpf_object__open_xattr(struct bpf_object_open_attr *attr)
@@ -3673,7 +3619,7 @@ struct bpf_object *bpf_object__open_buffer(void *obj_buf,
 	}
 	pr_debug("loading object '%s' from buffer\n", name);
 
-	return __bpf_object__open(name, obj_buf, obj_buf_sz, true, true);
+	return __bpf_object__open(name, obj_buf, obj_buf_sz, true);
 }
 
 int bpf_object__unload(struct bpf_object *obj)
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
index e8f70977d137..2905dffd70b2 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
@@ -70,8 +70,6 @@ struct bpf_object_open_attr {
 LIBBPF_API struct bpf_object *bpf_object__open(const char *path);
 LIBBPF_API struct bpf_object *
 bpf_object__open_xattr(struct bpf_object_open_attr *attr);
-struct bpf_object *__bpf_object__open_xattr(struct bpf_object_open_attr *attr,
-					    int flags);
 LIBBPF_API struct bpf_object *bpf_object__open_buffer(void *obj_buf,
 						      size_t obj_buf_sz,
 						      const char *name);
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_attach_probe.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_attach_probe.c
index 63a8dfef893b..534621e38906 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_attach_probe.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_attach_probe.c
@@ -49,4 +49,3 @@ int handle_uprobe_return(struct pt_regs *ctx)
 }
 
 char _license[] SEC("license") = "GPL";
-__u32 _version SEC("version") = 1;
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_get_stack_rawtp.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_get_stack_rawtp.c
index 6cc4479ac9df..6a4a8f57f174 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_get_stack_rawtp.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_get_stack_rawtp.c
@@ -99,4 +99,3 @@ int bpf_prog1(void *ctx)
 }
 
 char _license[] SEC("license") = "GPL";
-__u32 _version SEC("version") = 1; /* ignored by tracepoints, required by libbpf.a */
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_perf_buffer.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_perf_buffer.c
index 876c27deb65a..07c09ca5546a 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_perf_buffer.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_perf_buffer.c
@@ -22,4 +22,3 @@ int handle_sys_nanosleep_entry(struct pt_regs *ctx)
 }
 
 char _license[] SEC("license") = "GPL";
-__u32 _version SEC("version") = 1;
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_stacktrace_map.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_stacktrace_map.c
index fa0be3e10a10..3b7e1dca8829 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_stacktrace_map.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_stacktrace_map.c
@@ -74,4 +74,3 @@ int oncpu(struct sched_switch_args *ctx)
 }
 
 char _license[] SEC("license") = "GPL";
-__u32 _version SEC("version") = 1; /* ignored by tracepoints, required by libbpf.a */