diff --git a/kernel/bpf/preload/Makefile b/kernel/bpf/preload/Makefile
index 1951332dd15f..ac29d4e9a384 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/preload/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/bpf/preload/Makefile
@@ -10,12 +10,15 @@ LIBBPF_OUT = $(abspath $(obj))
 $(LIBBPF_A):
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(LIBBPF_SRCS) O=$(LIBBPF_OUT)/ OUTPUT=$(LIBBPF_OUT)/ $(LIBBPF_OUT)/libbpf.a
 
-userccflags += -I $(srctree)/tools/include/ -I $(srctree)/tools/include/uapi \
+userccflags += -I$(LIBBPF_OUT) -I $(srctree)/tools/include/ \
+	-I $(srctree)/tools/include/uapi \
 	-I $(srctree)/tools/lib/ -Wno-unused-result
 
 userprogs := bpf_preload_umd
 
-clean-files := $(userprogs) bpf_helper_defs.h FEATURE-DUMP.libbpf staticobjs/ feature/
+clean-files := $(userprogs) libbpf_version.h bpf_helper_defs.h FEATURE-DUMP.libbpf staticobjs/ feature/
+
+$(obj)/iterators/iterators.o: $(LIBBPF_A)
 
 bpf_preload_umd-objs := iterators/iterators.o
 bpf_preload_umd-userldlibs := $(LIBBPF_A) -lelf -lz
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile
index d73232be1e99..06aa1616dabe 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/Makefile
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ CFLAGS += -W -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-missing-field-initializers
 CFLAGS += $(filter-out -Wswitch-enum -Wnested-externs,$(EXTRA_WARNINGS))
 CFLAGS += -DPACKAGE='"bpftool"' -D__EXPORTED_HEADERS__ \
 	-I$(if $(OUTPUT),$(OUTPUT),.) \
+	$(if $(LIBBPF_OUTPUT),-I$(LIBBPF_OUTPUT)) \
 	-I$(srctree)/kernel/bpf/ \
 	-I$(srctree)/tools/include \
 	-I$(srctree)/tools/include/uapi \
@@ -137,7 +138,10 @@ endif
 BPFTOOL_BOOTSTRAP := $(BOOTSTRAP_OUTPUT)bpftool
 
 BOOTSTRAP_OBJS = $(addprefix $(BOOTSTRAP_OUTPUT),main.o common.o json_writer.o gen.o btf.o xlated_dumper.o btf_dumper.o disasm.o)
+$(BOOTSTRAP_OBJS): $(LIBBPF_BOOTSTRAP)
+
 OBJS = $(patsubst %.c,$(OUTPUT)%.o,$(SRCS)) $(OUTPUT)disasm.o
+$(OBJS): $(LIBBPF)
 
 VMLINUX_BTF_PATHS ?= $(if $(O),$(O)/vmlinux)				\
 		     $(if $(KBUILD_OUTPUT),$(KBUILD_OUTPUT)/vmlinux)	\
diff --git a/tools/bpf/resolve_btfids/Makefile b/tools/bpf/resolve_btfids/Makefile
index bb9fa8de7e62..d9ef8a959ed8 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/resolve_btfids/Makefile
+++ b/tools/bpf/resolve_btfids/Makefile
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ LIBBPF_SRC := $(srctree)/tools/lib/bpf/
 SUBCMD_SRC := $(srctree)/tools/lib/subcmd/
 
 BPFOBJ     := $(OUTPUT)/libbpf/libbpf.a
+LIBBPF_OUT := $(abspath $(dir $(BPFOBJ)))/
 SUBCMDOBJ  := $(OUTPUT)/libsubcmd/libsubcmd.a
 
 BINARY     := $(OUTPUT)/resolve_btfids
@@ -41,11 +42,12 @@ $(SUBCMDOBJ): fixdep FORCE | $(OUTPUT)/libsubcmd
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(SUBCMD_SRC) OUTPUT=$(abspath $(dir $@))/ $(abspath $@)
 
 $(BPFOBJ): $(wildcard $(LIBBPF_SRC)/*.[ch] $(LIBBPF_SRC)/Makefile) | $(OUTPUT)/libbpf
-	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(submake_extras) -C $(LIBBPF_SRC)  OUTPUT=$(abspath $(dir $@))/ $(abspath $@)
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(submake_extras) -C $(LIBBPF_SRC)  OUTPUT=$(LIBBPF_OUT) $(abspath $@)
 
 CFLAGS := -g \
           -I$(srctree)/tools/include \
           -I$(srctree)/tools/include/uapi \
+          -I$(LIBBPF_OUT) \
           -I$(LIBBPF_SRC) \
           -I$(SUBCMD_SRC)
 
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile b/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
index 74c3b73a5fbe..dab21e0c7cc2 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ VERSION_SCRIPT := libbpf.map
 LIBBPF_VERSION := $(shell \
 	grep -oE '^LIBBPF_([0-9.]+)' $(VERSION_SCRIPT) | \
 	sort -rV | head -n1 | cut -d'_' -f2)
-LIBBPF_MAJOR_VERSION := $(firstword $(subst ., ,$(LIBBPF_VERSION)))
+LIBBPF_MAJOR_VERSION := $(word 1,$(subst ., ,$(LIBBPF_VERSION)))
+LIBBPF_MINOR_VERSION := $(word 2,$(subst ., ,$(LIBBPF_VERSION)))
 
 MAKEFLAGS += --no-print-directory
 
@@ -59,7 +60,8 @@ ifndef VERBOSE
   VERBOSE = 0
 endif
 
-INCLUDES = -I. -I$(srctree)/tools/include -I$(srctree)/tools/include/uapi
+INCLUDES = -I$(if $(OUTPUT),$(OUTPUT),.)				\
+	   -I$(srctree)/tools/include -I$(srctree)/tools/include/uapi
 
 export prefix libdir src obj
 
@@ -111,7 +113,9 @@ SHARED_OBJDIR	:= $(OUTPUT)sharedobjs/
 STATIC_OBJDIR	:= $(OUTPUT)staticobjs/
 BPF_IN_SHARED	:= $(SHARED_OBJDIR)libbpf-in.o
 BPF_IN_STATIC	:= $(STATIC_OBJDIR)libbpf-in.o
+VERSION_HDR	:= $(OUTPUT)libbpf_version.h
 BPF_HELPER_DEFS	:= $(OUTPUT)bpf_helper_defs.h
+BPF_GENERATED	:= $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS) $(VERSION_HDR)
 
 LIB_TARGET	:= $(addprefix $(OUTPUT),$(LIB_TARGET))
 LIB_FILE	:= $(addprefix $(OUTPUT),$(LIB_FILE))
@@ -136,7 +140,7 @@ all: fixdep
 
 all_cmd: $(CMD_TARGETS) check
 
-$(BPF_IN_SHARED): force $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)
+$(BPF_IN_SHARED): force $(BPF_GENERATED)
 	@(test -f ../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h -a -f ../../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h && ( \
 	(diff -B ../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h ../../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h >/dev/null) || \
 	echo "Warning: Kernel ABI header at 'tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h' differs from latest version at 'include/uapi/linux/bpf.h'" >&2 )) || true
@@ -154,13 +158,19 @@ $(BPF_IN_SHARED): force $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)
 	echo "Warning: Kernel ABI header at 'tools/include/uapi/linux/if_xdp.h' differs from latest version at 'include/uapi/linux/if_xdp.h'" >&2 )) || true
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=libbpf OUTPUT=$(SHARED_OBJDIR) CFLAGS="$(CFLAGS) $(SHLIB_FLAGS)"
 
-$(BPF_IN_STATIC): force $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)
+$(BPF_IN_STATIC): force $(BPF_GENERATED)
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=libbpf OUTPUT=$(STATIC_OBJDIR)
 
 $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS): $(srctree)/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
 	$(QUIET_GEN)$(srctree)/scripts/bpf_doc.py --header \
 		--file $(srctree)/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h > $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)
 
+$(VERSION_HDR): force
+	$(QUIET_GEN)echo "/* This file was auto-generated. */" > $@
+	@echo "" >> $@
+	@echo "#define LIBBPF_MAJOR_VERSION $(LIBBPF_MAJOR_VERSION)" >> $@
+	@echo "#define LIBBPF_MINOR_VERSION $(LIBBPF_MINOR_VERSION)" >> $@
+
 $(OUTPUT)libbpf.so: $(OUTPUT)libbpf.so.$(LIBBPF_VERSION)
 
 $(OUTPUT)libbpf.so.$(LIBBPF_VERSION): $(BPF_IN_SHARED) $(VERSION_SCRIPT)
@@ -224,10 +234,10 @@ install_lib: all_cmd
 		cp -fpR $(LIB_FILE) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir_SQ)
 
 INSTALL_HEADERS = bpf.h libbpf.h btf.h libbpf_common.h libbpf_legacy.h xsk.h \
-		  bpf_helpers.h $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS) bpf_tracing.h	     \
+		  bpf_helpers.h $(BPF_GENERATED) bpf_tracing.h	     \
 		  bpf_endian.h bpf_core_read.h skel_internal.h
 
-install_headers: $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)
+install_headers: $(BPF_GENERATED)
 	$(call QUIET_INSTALL, headers)					     \
 		$(foreach hdr,$(INSTALL_HEADERS),			     \
 			$(call do_install,$(hdr),$(prefix)/include/bpf,644);)
@@ -240,7 +250,7 @@ install: install_lib install_pkgconfig install_headers
 
 clean:
 	$(call QUIET_CLEAN, libbpf) $(RM) -rf $(CMD_TARGETS)		     \
-		*~ .*.d .*.cmd LIBBPF-CFLAGS $(BPF_HELPER_DEFS)		     \
+		*~ .*.d .*.cmd LIBBPF-CFLAGS $(BPF_GENERATED)		     \
 		$(SHARED_OBJDIR) $(STATIC_OBJDIR)			     \
 		$(addprefix $(OUTPUT),					     \
 			    *.o *.a *.so *.so.$(LIBBPF_MAJOR_VERSION) *.pc)
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h
index 4a711f990904..f2e2fab950b7 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h
@@ -50,9 +50,11 @@ LIBBPF_API struct btf *libbpf_find_kernel_btf(void);
 
 LIBBPF_API struct btf *btf__load_from_kernel_by_id(__u32 id);
 LIBBPF_API struct btf *btf__load_from_kernel_by_id_split(__u32 id, struct btf *base_btf);
+LIBBPF_DEPRECATED_SINCE(0, 6, "use btf__load_from_kernel_by_id instead")
 LIBBPF_API int btf__get_from_id(__u32 id, struct btf **btf);
 
 LIBBPF_API int btf__finalize_data(struct bpf_object *obj, struct btf *btf);
+LIBBPF_DEPRECATED_SINCE(0, 6, "use btf__load_into_kernel instead")
 LIBBPF_API int btf__load(struct btf *btf);
 LIBBPF_API int btf__load_into_kernel(struct btf *btf);
 LIBBPF_API __s32 btf__find_by_name(const struct btf *btf,
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_common.h b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_common.h
index 947d8bd8a7bb..36ac77f2bea2 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_common.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_common.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #define __LIBBPF_LIBBPF_COMMON_H
 
 #include <string.h>
+#include "libbpf_version.h"
 
 #ifndef LIBBPF_API
 #define LIBBPF_API __attribute__((visibility("default")))
@@ -17,6 +18,24 @@
 
 #define LIBBPF_DEPRECATED(msg) __attribute__((deprecated(msg)))
 
+/* Mark a symbol as deprecated when libbpf version is >= {major}.{minor} */
+#define LIBBPF_DEPRECATED_SINCE(major, minor, msg)			    \
+	__LIBBPF_MARK_DEPRECATED_ ## major ## _ ## minor		    \
+		(LIBBPF_DEPRECATED("libbpf v" # major "." # minor "+: " msg))
+
+#define __LIBBPF_CURRENT_VERSION_GEQ(major, minor)			    \
+	(LIBBPF_MAJOR_VERSION > (major) ||				    \
+	 (LIBBPF_MAJOR_VERSION == (major) && LIBBPF_MINOR_VERSION >= (minor)))
+
+/* Add checks for other versions below when planning deprecation of API symbols
+ * with the LIBBPF_DEPRECATED_SINCE macro.
+ */
+#if __LIBBPF_CURRENT_VERSION_GEQ(0, 6)
+#define __LIBBPF_MARK_DEPRECATED_0_6(X) X
+#else
+#define __LIBBPF_MARK_DEPRECATED_0_6(X)
+#endif
+
 /* Helper macro to declare and initialize libbpf options struct
  *
  * This dance with uninitialized declaration, followed by memset to zero,
