diff --git a/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.c b/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.c
index 56f6fe8cf318..727955858d00 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.c
@@ -243,6 +243,18 @@ int bpf__unprobe(struct bpf_object *obj)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int bpf__load(struct bpf_object *obj)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	err = bpf_object__load(obj);
+	if (err) {
+		pr_debug("bpf: load objects failed\n");
+		return err;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 #define bpf__strerror_head(err, buf, size) \
 	char sbuf[STRERR_BUFSIZE], *emsg;\
 	if (!size)\
@@ -275,3 +287,13 @@ int bpf__strerror_probe(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused,
 	bpf__strerror_end(buf, size);
 	return 0;
 }
+
+int bpf__strerror_load(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused,
+		       int err, char *buf, size_t size)
+{
+	bpf__strerror_head(err, buf, size);
+	bpf__strerror_entry(EINVAL, "%s: Are you root and runing a CONFIG_BPF_SYSCALL kernel?",
+			    emsg)
+	bpf__strerror_end(buf, size);
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.h b/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.h
index b819622dc7ce..b091ceb19c48 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/bpf-loader.h
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ int bpf__unprobe(struct bpf_object *obj);
 int bpf__strerror_probe(struct bpf_object *obj, int err,
 			char *buf, size_t size);
 
+int bpf__load(struct bpf_object *obj);
+int bpf__strerror_load(struct bpf_object *obj, int err,
+		       char *buf, size_t size);
 #else
 static inline struct bpf_object *
 bpf__prepare_load(const char *filename __maybe_unused)
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@ static inline void bpf__clear(void) { }
 
 static inline int bpf__probe(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused) { return 0;}
 static inline int bpf__unprobe(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused) { return 0;}
+static inline int bpf__load(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused) { return 0; }
 
 static inline int
 __bpf_strerror(char *buf, size_t size)
@@ -55,5 +59,12 @@ bpf__strerror_probe(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused,
 {
 	return __bpf_strerror(buf, size);
 }
+
+static inline int bpf__strerror_load(struct bpf_object *obj __maybe_unused,
+				     int err __maybe_unused,
+				     char *buf, size_t size)
+{
+	return __bpf_strerror(buf, size);
+}
 #endif
 #endif
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
index 10a946779f46..c3aabeb63e88 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/parse-events.c
@@ -561,6 +561,12 @@ int parse_events_load_bpf_obj(struct parse_events_evlist *data,
 		goto errout;
 	}
 
+	err = bpf__load(obj);
+	if (err) {
+		bpf__strerror_load(obj, err, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf));
+		goto errout;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Temporary add a dummy event here so we can check whether
 	 * basic bpf loader works. Following patches will replace