diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index 4ccfae30e681..17bc922f543f 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -498,6 +498,10 @@ struct bpf_object {
 	 * it at load time.
 	 */
 	struct btf *btf_vmlinux;
+	/* Path to the custom BTF to be used for BPF CO-RE relocations as an
+	 * override for vmlinux BTF.
+	 */
+	char *btf_custom_path;
 	/* vmlinux BTF override for CO-RE relocations */
 	struct btf *btf_vmlinux_override;
 	/* Lazily initialized kernel module BTFs */
@@ -2645,8 +2649,10 @@ static bool obj_needs_vmlinux_btf(const struct bpf_object *obj)
 	struct bpf_program *prog;
 	int i;
 
-	/* CO-RE relocations need kernel BTF */
-	if (obj->btf_ext && obj->btf_ext->core_relo_info.len)
+	/* CO-RE relocations need kernel BTF, only when btf_custom_path
+	 * is not specified
+	 */
+	if (obj->btf_ext && obj->btf_ext->core_relo_info.len && !obj->btf_custom_path)
 		return true;
 
 	/* Support for typed ksyms needs kernel BTF */
@@ -7596,7 +7602,7 @@ static struct bpf_object *
 __bpf_object__open(const char *path, const void *obj_buf, size_t obj_buf_sz,
 		   const struct bpf_object_open_opts *opts)
 {
-	const char *obj_name, *kconfig;
+	const char *obj_name, *kconfig, *btf_tmp_path;
 	struct bpf_program *prog;
 	struct bpf_object *obj;
 	char tmp_name[64];
@@ -7627,11 +7633,26 @@ __bpf_object__open(const char *path, const void *obj_buf, size_t obj_buf_sz,
 	if (IS_ERR(obj))
 		return obj;
 
+	btf_tmp_path = OPTS_GET(opts, btf_custom_path, NULL);
+	if (btf_tmp_path) {
+		if (strlen(btf_tmp_path) >= PATH_MAX) {
+			err = -ENAMETOOLONG;
+			goto out;
+		}
+		obj->btf_custom_path = strdup(btf_tmp_path);
+		if (!obj->btf_custom_path) {
+			err = -ENOMEM;
+			goto out;
+		}
+	}
+
 	kconfig = OPTS_GET(opts, kconfig, NULL);
 	if (kconfig) {
 		obj->kconfig = strdup(kconfig);
-		if (!obj->kconfig)
-			return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+		if (!obj->kconfig) {
+			err = -ENOMEM;
+			goto out;
+		}
 	}
 
 	err = bpf_object__elf_init(obj);
@@ -8097,7 +8118,7 @@ int bpf_object__load_xattr(struct bpf_object_load_attr *attr)
 	err = err ? : bpf_object__sanitize_maps(obj);
 	err = err ? : bpf_object__init_kern_struct_ops_maps(obj);
 	err = err ? : bpf_object__create_maps(obj);
-	err = err ? : bpf_object__relocate(obj, attr->target_btf_path);
+	err = err ? : bpf_object__relocate(obj, obj->btf_custom_path ? : attr->target_btf_path);
 	err = err ? : bpf_object__load_progs(obj, attr->log_level);
 
 	if (obj->gen_loader) {
@@ -8744,6 +8765,7 @@ void bpf_object__close(struct bpf_object *obj)
 	for (i = 0; i < obj->nr_maps; i++)
 		bpf_map__destroy(&obj->maps[i]);
 
+	zfree(&obj->btf_custom_path);
 	zfree(&obj->kconfig);
 	zfree(&obj->externs);
 	obj->nr_extern = 0;
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
index 6e61342ba56c..6b08c1023609 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
@@ -94,8 +94,15 @@ struct bpf_object_open_opts {
 	 * system Kconfig for CONFIG_xxx externs.
 	 */
 	const char *kconfig;
+	/* Path to the custom BTF to be used for BPF CO-RE relocations.
+	 * This custom BTF completely replaces the use of vmlinux BTF
+	 * for the purpose of CO-RE relocations.
+	 * NOTE: any other BPF feature (e.g., fentry/fexit programs,
+	 * struct_ops, etc) will need actual kernel BTF at /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux.
+	 */
+	const char *btf_custom_path;
 };
-#define bpf_object_open_opts__last_field kconfig
+#define bpf_object_open_opts__last_field btf_custom_path
 
 LIBBPF_API struct bpf_object *bpf_object__open(const char *path);
 LIBBPF_API struct bpf_object *
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/core_autosize.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/core_autosize.c
index 981c251453d9..3d4b2a358d47 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/core_autosize.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/core_autosize.c
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ void test_core_autosize(void)
 	char btf_file[] = "/tmp/core_autosize.btf.XXXXXX";
 	int err, fd = -1, zero = 0;
 	int char_id, short_id, int_id, long_long_id, void_ptr_id, id;
+	DECLARE_LIBBPF_OPTS(bpf_object_open_opts, open_opts);
 	struct test_core_autosize* skel = NULL;
-	struct bpf_object_load_attr load_attr = {};
 	struct bpf_program *prog;
 	struct bpf_map *bss_map;
 	struct btf *btf = NULL;
@@ -125,9 +125,10 @@ void test_core_autosize(void)
 	fd = -1;
 
 	/* open and load BPF program with custom BTF as the kernel BTF */
-	skel = test_core_autosize__open();
+	open_opts.btf_custom_path = btf_file;
+	skel = test_core_autosize__open_opts(&open_opts);
 	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(skel, "skel_open"))
-		return;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	/* disable handle_signed() for now */
 	prog = bpf_object__find_program_by_name(skel->obj, "handle_signed");
@@ -135,9 +136,7 @@ void test_core_autosize(void)
 		goto cleanup;
 	bpf_program__set_autoload(prog, false);
 
-	load_attr.obj = skel->obj;
-	load_attr.target_btf_path = btf_file;
-	err = bpf_object__load_xattr(&load_attr);
+	err = bpf_object__load(skel->obj);
 	if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "prog_load"))
 		goto cleanup;
 
@@ -204,14 +203,13 @@ void test_core_autosize(void)
 	skel = NULL;
 
 	/* now re-load with handle_signed() enabled, it should fail loading */
-	skel = test_core_autosize__open();
+	open_opts.btf_custom_path = btf_file;
+	skel = test_core_autosize__open_opts(&open_opts);
 	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(skel, "skel_open"))
-		return;
+		goto cleanup;
 
-	load_attr.obj = skel->obj;
-	load_attr.target_btf_path = btf_file;
-	err = bpf_object__load_xattr(&load_attr);
-	if (!ASSERT_ERR(err, "bad_prog_load"))
+	err = test_core_autosize__load(skel);
+	if (!ASSERT_ERR(err, "skel_load"))
 		goto cleanup;
 
 cleanup:
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/core_reloc.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/core_reloc.c
index d02e064c535f..4739b15b2a97 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/core_reloc.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/core_reloc.c
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ static size_t roundup_page(size_t sz)
 void test_core_reloc(void)
 {
 	const size_t mmap_sz = roundup_page(sizeof(struct data));
-	struct bpf_object_load_attr load_attr = {};
+	DECLARE_LIBBPF_OPTS(bpf_object_open_opts, open_opts);
 	struct core_reloc_test_case *test_case;
 	const char *tp_name, *probe_name;
 	int err, i, equal;
@@ -846,9 +846,16 @@ void test_core_reloc(void)
 				continue;
 		}
 
-		obj = bpf_object__open_file(test_case->bpf_obj_file, NULL);
+		if (test_case->btf_src_file) {
+			err = access(test_case->btf_src_file, R_OK);
+			if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "btf_src_file"))
+				goto cleanup;
+		}
+
+		open_opts.btf_custom_path = test_case->btf_src_file;
+		obj = bpf_object__open_file(test_case->bpf_obj_file, &open_opts);
 		if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(obj, "obj_open"))
-			continue;
+			goto cleanup;
 
 		probe_name = "raw_tracepoint/sys_enter";
 		tp_name = "sys_enter";
@@ -862,17 +869,7 @@ void test_core_reloc(void)
 			  "prog '%s' not found\n", probe_name))
 			goto cleanup;
 
-
-		if (test_case->btf_src_file) {
-			err = access(test_case->btf_src_file, R_OK);
-			if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "btf_src_file"))
-				goto cleanup;
-		}
-
-		load_attr.obj = obj;
-		load_attr.log_level = 0;
-		load_attr.target_btf_path = test_case->btf_src_file;
-		err = bpf_object__load_xattr(&load_attr);
+		err = bpf_object__load(obj);
 		if (err) {
 			if (!test_case->fails)
 				ASSERT_OK(err, "obj_load");