diff --git a/include/linux/bpf.h b/include/linux/bpf.h
index c1a06263a4f3..cdeb0c95ec74 100644
--- a/include/linux/bpf.h
+++ b/include/linux/bpf.h
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ struct btf_field_graph_root {
 	u32 value_btf_id;
 	u32 node_offset;
 	struct btf_record *value_rec;
+	bool has_btf_ref;
 };
 
 struct btf_field {
diff --git a/include/linux/btf.h b/include/linux/btf.h
index 59d404e22814..f7d4f6594308 100644
--- a/include/linux/btf.h
+++ b/include/linux/btf.h
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ bool btf_member_is_reg_int(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type *s,
 			   const struct btf_member *m,
 			   u32 expected_offset, u32 expected_size);
 struct btf_record *btf_parse_fields(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type *t,
-				    u32 field_mask, u32 value_size);
+				    u32 field_mask, u32 value_size, bool from_map_check);
 int btf_check_and_fixup_fields(const struct btf *btf, struct btf_record *rec);
 bool btf_type_is_void(const struct btf_type *t);
 s32 btf_find_by_name_kind(const struct btf *btf, const char *name, u8 kind);
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/btf.c b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
index 63cf4128fc05..f23d6a7b8b93 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/btf.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
@@ -3665,7 +3665,8 @@ static int btf_parse_graph_root(const struct btf *btf,
 				struct btf_field *field,
 				struct btf_field_info *info,
 				const char *node_type_name,
-				size_t node_type_align)
+				size_t node_type_align,
+				bool from_map_check)
 {
 	const struct btf_type *t, *n = NULL;
 	const struct btf_member *member;
@@ -3696,6 +3697,9 @@ static int btf_parse_graph_root(const struct btf *btf,
 		if (offset % node_type_align)
 			return -EINVAL;
 
+		if (from_map_check)
+			btf_get((struct btf *)btf);
+		field->graph_root.has_btf_ref = from_map_check;
 		field->graph_root.btf = (struct btf *)btf;
 		field->graph_root.value_btf_id = info->graph_root.value_btf_id;
 		field->graph_root.node_offset = offset;
@@ -3706,17 +3710,19 @@ static int btf_parse_graph_root(const struct btf *btf,
 }
 
 static int btf_parse_list_head(const struct btf *btf, struct btf_field *field,
-			       struct btf_field_info *info)
+			       struct btf_field_info *info, bool from_map_check)
 {
 	return btf_parse_graph_root(btf, field, info, "bpf_list_node",
-					    __alignof__(struct bpf_list_node));
+				    __alignof__(struct bpf_list_node),
+				    from_map_check);
 }
 
 static int btf_parse_rb_root(const struct btf *btf, struct btf_field *field,
-			     struct btf_field_info *info)
+			     struct btf_field_info *info, bool from_map_check)
 {
 	return btf_parse_graph_root(btf, field, info, "bpf_rb_node",
-					    __alignof__(struct bpf_rb_node));
+				    __alignof__(struct bpf_rb_node),
+				    from_map_check);
 }
 
 static int btf_field_cmp(const void *_a, const void *_b, const void *priv)
@@ -3732,7 +3738,7 @@ static int btf_field_cmp(const void *_a, const void *_b, const void *priv)
 }
 
 struct btf_record *btf_parse_fields(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type *t,
-				    u32 field_mask, u32 value_size)
+				    u32 field_mask, u32 value_size, bool from_map_check)
 {
 	struct btf_field_info info_arr[BTF_FIELDS_MAX];
 	u32 next_off = 0, field_type_size;
@@ -3798,12 +3804,14 @@ struct btf_record *btf_parse_fields(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type
 				goto end;
 			break;
 		case BPF_LIST_HEAD:
-			ret = btf_parse_list_head(btf, &rec->fields[i], &info_arr[i]);
+			ret = btf_parse_list_head(btf, &rec->fields[i], &info_arr[i],
+						  from_map_check);
 			if (ret < 0)
 				goto end;
 			break;
 		case BPF_RB_ROOT:
-			ret = btf_parse_rb_root(btf, &rec->fields[i], &info_arr[i]);
+			ret = btf_parse_rb_root(btf, &rec->fields[i], &info_arr[i],
+						from_map_check);
 			if (ret < 0)
 				goto end;
 			break;
@@ -5390,7 +5398,8 @@ btf_parse_struct_metas(struct bpf_verifier_log *log, struct btf *btf)
 		type = &tab->types[tab->cnt];
 		type->btf_id = i;
 		record = btf_parse_fields(btf, t, BPF_SPIN_LOCK | BPF_LIST_HEAD | BPF_LIST_NODE |
-						  BPF_RB_ROOT | BPF_RB_NODE | BPF_REFCOUNT, t->size);
+						  BPF_RB_ROOT | BPF_RB_NODE | BPF_REFCOUNT, t->size,
+					  false);
 		/* The record cannot be unset, treat it as an error if so */
 		if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(record)) {
 			ret = PTR_ERR_OR_ZERO(record) ?: -EFAULT;
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/syscall.c b/kernel/bpf/syscall.c
index aff045eed375..bdc81221baf7 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/syscall.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/syscall.c
@@ -521,8 +521,11 @@ void btf_record_free(struct btf_record *rec)
 			btf_put(rec->fields[i].kptr.btf);
 			break;
 		case BPF_LIST_HEAD:
-		case BPF_LIST_NODE:
 		case BPF_RB_ROOT:
+			if (rec->fields[i].graph_root.has_btf_ref)
+				btf_put(rec->fields[i].graph_root.btf);
+			break;
+		case BPF_LIST_NODE:
 		case BPF_RB_NODE:
 		case BPF_SPIN_LOCK:
 		case BPF_TIMER:
@@ -570,8 +573,11 @@ struct btf_record *btf_record_dup(const struct btf_record *rec)
 			}
 			break;
 		case BPF_LIST_HEAD:
-		case BPF_LIST_NODE:
 		case BPF_RB_ROOT:
+			if (fields[i].graph_root.has_btf_ref)
+				btf_get(fields[i].graph_root.btf);
+			break;
+		case BPF_LIST_NODE:
 		case BPF_RB_NODE:
 		case BPF_SPIN_LOCK:
 		case BPF_TIMER:
@@ -1034,7 +1040,7 @@ static int map_check_btf(struct bpf_map *map, struct bpf_token *token,
 	map->record = btf_parse_fields(btf, value_type,
 				       BPF_SPIN_LOCK | BPF_TIMER | BPF_KPTR | BPF_LIST_HEAD |
 				       BPF_RB_ROOT | BPF_REFCOUNT,
-				       map->value_size);
+				       map->value_size, true);
 	if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(map->record)) {
 		int i;
 
