diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index a58569b7e4bfb..01d45f0c40d0d 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -3192,86 +3192,6 @@ static int bpf_object__sanitize_and_load_btf(struct bpf_object *obj)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!kernel_supports(obj, FEAT_BTF_DECL_TAG))
-		goto skip_exception_cb;
-	for (i = 0; i < obj->nr_programs; i++) {
-		struct bpf_program *prog = &obj->programs[i];
-		int j, k, n;
-
-		if (prog_is_subprog(obj, prog))
-			continue;
-		n = btf__type_cnt(obj->btf);
-		for (j = 1; j < n; j++) {
-			const char *str = "exception_callback:", *name;
-			size_t len = strlen(str);
-			struct btf_type *t;
-
-			t = btf_type_by_id(obj->btf, j);
-			if (!btf_is_decl_tag(t) || btf_decl_tag(t)->component_idx != -1)
-				continue;
-
-			name = btf__str_by_offset(obj->btf, t->name_off);
-			if (strncmp(name, str, len))
-				continue;
-
-			t = btf_type_by_id(obj->btf, t->type);
-			if (!btf_is_func(t) || btf_func_linkage(t) != BTF_FUNC_GLOBAL) {
-				pr_warn("prog '%s': exception_callback:<value> decl tag not applied to the main program\n",
-					prog->name);
-				return -EINVAL;
-			}
-			if (strcmp(prog->name, btf__str_by_offset(obj->btf, t->name_off)))
-				continue;
-			/* Multiple callbacks are specified for the same prog,
-			 * the verifier will eventually return an error for this
-			 * case, hence simply skip appending a subprog.
-			 */
-			if (prog->exception_cb_idx >= 0) {
-				prog->exception_cb_idx = -1;
-				break;
-			}
-
-			name += len;
-			if (str_is_empty(name)) {
-				pr_warn("prog '%s': exception_callback:<value> decl tag contains empty value\n",
-					prog->name);
-				return -EINVAL;
-			}
-
-			for (k = 0; k < obj->nr_programs; k++) {
-				struct bpf_program *subprog = &obj->programs[k];
-
-				if (!prog_is_subprog(obj, subprog))
-					continue;
-				if (strcmp(name, subprog->name))
-					continue;
-				/* Enforce non-hidden, as from verifier point of
-				 * view it expects global functions, whereas the
-				 * mark_btf_static fixes up linkage as static.
-				 */
-				if (!subprog->sym_global || subprog->mark_btf_static) {
-					pr_warn("prog '%s': exception callback %s must be a global non-hidden function\n",
-						prog->name, subprog->name);
-					return -EINVAL;
-				}
-				/* Let's see if we already saw a static exception callback with the same name */
-				if (prog->exception_cb_idx >= 0) {
-					pr_warn("prog '%s': multiple subprogs with same name as exception callback '%s'\n",
-					        prog->name, subprog->name);
-					return -EINVAL;
-				}
-				prog->exception_cb_idx = k;
-				break;
-			}
-
-			if (prog->exception_cb_idx >= 0)
-				continue;
-			pr_warn("prog '%s': cannot find exception callback '%s'\n", prog->name, name);
-			return -ENOENT;
-		}
-	}
-skip_exception_cb:
-
 	sanitize = btf_needs_sanitization(obj);
 	if (sanitize) {
 		const void *raw_data;
@@ -6661,6 +6581,88 @@ static void bpf_object__sort_relos(struct bpf_object *obj)
 	}
 }
 
+static int bpf_prog_assign_exc_cb(struct bpf_object *obj, struct bpf_program *prog)
+{
+	const char *str = "exception_callback:";
+	size_t pfx_len = strlen(str);
+	int i, j, n;
+
+	if (!obj->btf || !kernel_supports(obj, FEAT_BTF_DECL_TAG))
+		return 0;
+
+	n = btf__type_cnt(obj->btf);
+	for (i = 1; i < n; i++) {
+		const char *name;
+		struct btf_type *t;
+
+		t = btf_type_by_id(obj->btf, i);
+		if (!btf_is_decl_tag(t) || btf_decl_tag(t)->component_idx != -1)
+			continue;
+
+		name = btf__str_by_offset(obj->btf, t->name_off);
+		if (strncmp(name, str, pfx_len) != 0)
+			continue;
+
+		t = btf_type_by_id(obj->btf, t->type);
+		if (!btf_is_func(t) || btf_func_linkage(t) != BTF_FUNC_GLOBAL) {
+			pr_warn("prog '%s': exception_callback:<value> decl tag not applied to the main program\n",
+				prog->name);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+		if (strcmp(prog->name, btf__str_by_offset(obj->btf, t->name_off)) != 0)
+			continue;
+		/* Multiple callbacks are specified for the same prog,
+		 * the verifier will eventually return an error for this
+		 * case, hence simply skip appending a subprog.
+		 */
+		if (prog->exception_cb_idx >= 0) {
+			prog->exception_cb_idx = -1;
+			break;
+		}
+
+		name += pfx_len;
+		if (str_is_empty(name)) {
+			pr_warn("prog '%s': exception_callback:<value> decl tag contains empty value\n",
+				prog->name);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+
+		for (j = 0; j < obj->nr_programs; j++) {
+			struct bpf_program *subprog = &obj->programs[j];
+
+			if (!prog_is_subprog(obj, subprog))
+				continue;
+			if (strcmp(name, subprog->name) != 0)
+				continue;
+			/* Enforce non-hidden, as from verifier point of
+			 * view it expects global functions, whereas the
+			 * mark_btf_static fixes up linkage as static.
+			 */
+			if (!subprog->sym_global || subprog->mark_btf_static) {
+				pr_warn("prog '%s': exception callback %s must be a global non-hidden function\n",
+					prog->name, subprog->name);
+				return -EINVAL;
+			}
+			/* Let's see if we already saw a static exception callback with the same name */
+			if (prog->exception_cb_idx >= 0) {
+				pr_warn("prog '%s': multiple subprogs with same name as exception callback '%s'\n",
+					prog->name, subprog->name);
+				return -EINVAL;
+			}
+			prog->exception_cb_idx = j;
+			break;
+		}
+
+		if (prog->exception_cb_idx >= 0)
+			continue;
+
+		pr_warn("prog '%s': cannot find exception callback '%s'\n", prog->name, name);
+		return -ENOENT;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 bpf_object__relocate(struct bpf_object *obj, const char *targ_btf_path)
 {
@@ -6721,6 +6723,9 @@ bpf_object__relocate(struct bpf_object *obj, const char *targ_btf_path)
 			return err;
 		}
 
+		err = bpf_prog_assign_exc_cb(obj, prog);
+		if (err)
+			return err;
 		/* Now, also append exception callback if it has not been done already. */
 		if (prog->exception_cb_idx >= 0) {
 			struct bpf_program *subprog = &obj->programs[prog->exception_cb_idx];