diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c
index 3a0396d87c424..185acfa229b59 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/main.c
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ static int do_batch(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	if (errno && errno != ENOENT) {
-		perror("reading batch file failed");
+		p_err("reading batch file failed: %s", strerror(errno));
 		err = -1;
 	} else {
 		p_info("processed %d lines", lines);
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
index e8e2baaf93c26..e549e329be821 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/prog.c
@@ -774,6 +774,9 @@ static int do_dump(int argc, char **argv)
 			      n < 0 ? strerror(errno) : "short write");
 			goto err_free;
 		}
+
+		if (json_output)
+			jsonw_null(json_wtr);
 	} else {
 		if (member_len == &info.jited_prog_len) {
 			const char *name = NULL;