diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/common.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/common.c
index cc6e6aae2447..56a5abbb1bf8 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/common.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/common.c
@@ -244,29 +244,103 @@ int open_obj_pinned_any(const char *path, enum bpf_obj_type exp_type)
 	return fd;
 }
 
-int mount_bpffs_for_pin(const char *name, bool is_dir)
+int create_and_mount_bpffs_dir(const char *dir_name)
 {
 	char err_str[ERR_MAX_LEN];
-	char *file;
-	char *dir;
+	bool dir_exists;
 	int err = 0;
 
-	if (is_dir && is_bpffs(name))
+	if (is_bpffs(dir_name))
 		return err;
 
-	file = malloc(strlen(name) + 1);
-	if (!file) {
+	dir_exists = (access(dir_name, F_OK) == 0);
+
+	if (!dir_exists) {
+		char *temp_name;
+		char *parent_name;
+
+		temp_name = malloc(strlen(dir_name) + 1);
+		if (!temp_name) {
+			p_err("mem alloc failed");
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		strcpy(temp_name, dir_name);
+		parent_name = dirname(temp_name);
+
+		if (is_bpffs(parent_name)) {
+			/* nothing to do if already mounted */
+			free(temp_name);
+			return err;
+		}
+
+		if (access(parent_name, F_OK) == -1) {
+			p_err("can't create dir '%s' to pin BPF object: parent dir '%s' doesn't exist",
+			      dir_name, parent_name);
+			free(temp_name);
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		free(temp_name);
+	}
+
+	if (block_mount) {
+		p_err("no BPF file system found, not mounting it due to --nomount option");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	if (!dir_exists) {
+		err = mkdir(dir_name, 0700);
+		if (err) {
+			p_err("failed to create dir '%s': %s", dir_name, strerror(errno));
+			return err;
+		}
+	}
+
+	err = mnt_fs(dir_name, "bpf", err_str, ERR_MAX_LEN);
+	if (err) {
+		err_str[ERR_MAX_LEN - 1] = '\0';
+		p_err("can't mount BPF file system on given dir '%s': %s",
+		      dir_name, err_str);
+
+		if (!dir_exists)
+			rmdir(dir_name);
+	}
+
+	return err;
+}
+
+int mount_bpffs_for_file(const char *file_name)
+{
+	char err_str[ERR_MAX_LEN];
+	char *temp_name;
+	char *dir;
+	int err = 0;
+
+	if (access(file_name, F_OK) != -1) {
+		p_err("can't pin BPF object: path '%s' already exists", file_name);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	temp_name = malloc(strlen(file_name) + 1);
+	if (!temp_name) {
 		p_err("mem alloc failed");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	strcpy(file, name);
-	dir = dirname(file);
+	strcpy(temp_name, file_name);
+	dir = dirname(temp_name);
 
 	if (is_bpffs(dir))
 		/* nothing to do if already mounted */
 		goto out_free;
 
+	if (access(dir, F_OK) == -1) {
+		p_err("can't pin BPF object: dir '%s' doesn't exist", dir);
+		free(temp_name);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (block_mount) {
 		p_err("no BPF file system found, not mounting it due to --nomount option");
 		err = -1;
@@ -276,12 +350,12 @@ int mount_bpffs_for_pin(const char *name, bool is_dir)
 	err = mnt_fs(dir, "bpf", err_str, ERR_MAX_LEN);
 	if (err) {
 		err_str[ERR_MAX_LEN - 1] = '\0';
-		p_err("can't mount BPF file system to pin the object (%s): %s",
-		      name, err_str);
+		p_err("can't mount BPF file system to pin the object '%s': %s",
+		      file_name, err_str);
 	}
 
 out_free:
-	free(file);
+	free(temp_name);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -289,7 +363,7 @@ int do_pin_fd(int fd, const char *name)
 {
 	int err;
 
-	err = mount_bpffs_for_pin(name, false);
+	err = mount_bpffs_for_file(name);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/iter.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/iter.c
index 6b0e5202ca7a..5c39c2ed36a2 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/iter.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/iter.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static int do_pin(int argc, char **argv)
 		goto close_obj;
 	}
 
-	err = mount_bpffs_for_pin(path, false);
+	err = mount_bpffs_for_file(path);
 	if (err)
 		goto close_link;
 
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h
index b8bb08d10dec..9eb764fe4cc8 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.h
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ const char *get_fd_type_name(enum bpf_obj_type type);
 char *get_fdinfo(int fd, const char *key);
 int open_obj_pinned(const char *path, bool quiet);
 int open_obj_pinned_any(const char *path, enum bpf_obj_type exp_type);
-int mount_bpffs_for_pin(const char *name, bool is_dir);
+int mount_bpffs_for_file(const char *file_name);
+int create_and_mount_bpffs_dir(const char *dir_name);
 int do_pin_any(int argc, char **argv, int (*get_fd_by_id)(int *, char ***));
 int do_pin_fd(int fd, const char *name);
 
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
index 9cb42a3366c0..4c4cf16a40ba 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
@@ -1778,7 +1778,10 @@ static int load_with_options(int argc, char **argv, bool first_prog_only)
 		goto err_close_obj;
 	}
 
-	err = mount_bpffs_for_pin(pinfile, !first_prog_only);
+	if (first_prog_only)
+		err = mount_bpffs_for_file(pinfile);
+	else
+		err = create_and_mount_bpffs_dir(pinfile);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_close_obj;
 
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/struct_ops.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/struct_ops.c
index d573f2640d8e..aa43dead249c 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/struct_ops.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/struct_ops.c
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ static int do_register(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (argc == 1)
 		linkdir = GET_ARG();
 
-	if (linkdir && mount_bpffs_for_pin(linkdir, true)) {
+	if (linkdir && create_and_mount_bpffs_dir(linkdir)) {
 		p_err("can't mount bpffs for pinning");
 		return -1;
 	}
