diff --git a/include/linux/bpf_verifier.h b/include/linux/bpf_verifier.h
index 857fd687bdc2..ac4797155412 100644
--- a/include/linux/bpf_verifier.h
+++ b/include/linux/bpf_verifier.h
@@ -566,4 +566,9 @@ static inline u32 type_flag(u32 type)
 	return type & ~BPF_BASE_TYPE_MASK;
 }
 
+static inline enum bpf_prog_type resolve_prog_type(struct bpf_prog *prog)
+{
+	return prog->aux->dst_prog ? prog->aux->dst_prog->type : prog->type;
+}
+
 #endif /* _LINUX_BPF_VERIFIER_H */
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/btf.c b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
index cf46694cb266..57f5fd5af2f9 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/btf.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
@@ -5686,11 +5686,13 @@ static int btf_check_func_arg_match(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
 				    bool ptr_to_mem_ok)
 {
 	struct bpf_verifier_log *log = &env->log;
+	u32 i, nargs, ref_id, ref_obj_id = 0;
 	bool is_kfunc = btf_is_kernel(btf);
 	const char *func_name, *ref_tname;
 	const struct btf_type *t, *ref_t;
 	const struct btf_param *args;
-	u32 i, nargs, ref_id;
+	int ref_regno = 0;
+	bool rel = false;
 
 	t = btf_type_by_id(btf, func_id);
 	if (!t || !btf_type_is_func(t)) {
@@ -5768,6 +5770,16 @@ static int btf_check_func_arg_match(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
 			if (reg->type == PTR_TO_BTF_ID) {
 				reg_btf = reg->btf;
 				reg_ref_id = reg->btf_id;
+				/* Ensure only one argument is referenced PTR_TO_BTF_ID */
+				if (reg->ref_obj_id) {
+					if (ref_obj_id) {
+						bpf_log(log, "verifier internal error: more than one arg with ref_obj_id R%d %u %u\n",
+							regno, reg->ref_obj_id, ref_obj_id);
+						return -EFAULT;
+					}
+					ref_regno = regno;
+					ref_obj_id = reg->ref_obj_id;
+				}
 			} else {
 				reg_btf = btf_vmlinux;
 				reg_ref_id = *reg2btf_ids[reg->type];
@@ -5838,7 +5850,23 @@ static int btf_check_func_arg_match(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
 		}
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	/* Either both are set, or neither */
+	WARN_ON_ONCE((ref_obj_id && !ref_regno) || (!ref_obj_id && ref_regno));
+	if (is_kfunc) {
+		rel = btf_kfunc_id_set_contains(btf, resolve_prog_type(env->prog),
+						BTF_KFUNC_TYPE_RELEASE, func_id);
+		/* We already made sure ref_obj_id is set only for one argument */
+		if (rel && !ref_obj_id) {
+			bpf_log(log, "release kernel function %s expects refcounted PTR_TO_BTF_ID\n",
+				func_name);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+		/* Allow (!rel && ref_obj_id), so that passing such referenced PTR_TO_BTF_ID to
+		 * other kfuncs works
+		 */
+	}
+	/* returns argument register number > 0 in case of reference release kfunc */
+	return rel ? ref_regno : 0;
 }
 
 /* Compare BTF of a function with given bpf_reg_state.
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 2b186185b6b2..8c5a46d41f28 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -452,7 +452,8 @@ static bool reg_type_may_be_refcounted_or_null(enum bpf_reg_type type)
 {
 	return base_type(type) == PTR_TO_SOCKET ||
 		base_type(type) == PTR_TO_TCP_SOCK ||
-		base_type(type) == PTR_TO_MEM;
+		base_type(type) == PTR_TO_MEM ||
+		base_type(type) == PTR_TO_BTF_ID;
 }
 
 static bool type_is_rdonly_mem(u32 type)
@@ -3493,11 +3494,6 @@ static int check_map_access(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, u32 regno,
 
 #define MAX_PACKET_OFF 0xffff
 
-static enum bpf_prog_type resolve_prog_type(struct bpf_prog *prog)
-{
-	return prog->aux->dst_prog ? prog->aux->dst_prog->type : prog->type;
-}
-
 static bool may_access_direct_pkt_data(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
 				       const struct bpf_call_arg_meta *meta,
 				       enum bpf_access_type t)
@@ -6845,15 +6841,17 @@ static void mark_btf_func_reg_size(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, u32 regno,
 	}
 }
 
-static int check_kfunc_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn)
+static int check_kfunc_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn,
+			    int *insn_idx_p)
 {
 	const struct btf_type *t, *func, *func_proto, *ptr_type;
 	struct bpf_reg_state *regs = cur_regs(env);
 	const char *func_name, *ptr_type_name;
 	u32 i, nargs, func_id, ptr_type_id;
+	int err, insn_idx = *insn_idx_p;
 	const struct btf_param *args;
 	struct btf *desc_btf;
-	int err;
+	bool acq;
 
 	/* skip for now, but return error when we find this in fixup_kfunc_call */
 	if (!insn->imm)
@@ -6875,16 +6873,36 @@ static int check_kfunc_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn)
 		return -EACCES;
 	}
 
+	acq = btf_kfunc_id_set_contains(desc_btf, resolve_prog_type(env->prog),
+					BTF_KFUNC_TYPE_ACQUIRE, func_id);
+
 	/* Check the arguments */
 	err = btf_check_kfunc_arg_match(env, desc_btf, func_id, regs);
-	if (err)
+	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
+	/* In case of release function, we get register number of refcounted
+	 * PTR_TO_BTF_ID back from btf_check_kfunc_arg_match, do the release now
+	 */
+	if (err) {
+		err = release_reference(env, regs[err].ref_obj_id);
+		if (err) {
+			verbose(env, "kfunc %s#%d reference has not been acquired before\n",
+				func_name, func_id);
+			return err;
+		}
+	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < CALLER_SAVED_REGS; i++)
 		mark_reg_not_init(env, regs, caller_saved[i]);
 
 	/* Check return type */
 	t = btf_type_skip_modifiers(desc_btf, func_proto->type, NULL);
+
+	if (acq && !btf_type_is_ptr(t)) {
+		verbose(env, "acquire kernel function does not return PTR_TO_BTF_ID\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	if (btf_type_is_scalar(t)) {
 		mark_reg_unknown(env, regs, BPF_REG_0);
 		mark_btf_func_reg_size(env, BPF_REG_0, t->size);
@@ -6903,7 +6921,21 @@ static int check_kfunc_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn)
 		regs[BPF_REG_0].btf = desc_btf;
 		regs[BPF_REG_0].type = PTR_TO_BTF_ID;
 		regs[BPF_REG_0].btf_id = ptr_type_id;
+		if (btf_kfunc_id_set_contains(desc_btf, resolve_prog_type(env->prog),
+					      BTF_KFUNC_TYPE_RET_NULL, func_id)) {
+			regs[BPF_REG_0].type |= PTR_MAYBE_NULL;
+			/* For mark_ptr_or_null_reg, see 93c230e3f5bd6 */
+			regs[BPF_REG_0].id = ++env->id_gen;
+		}
 		mark_btf_func_reg_size(env, BPF_REG_0, sizeof(void *));
+		if (acq) {
+			int id = acquire_reference_state(env, insn_idx);
+
+			if (id < 0)
+				return id;
+			regs[BPF_REG_0].id = id;
+			regs[BPF_REG_0].ref_obj_id = id;
+		}
 	} /* else { add_kfunc_call() ensures it is btf_type_is_void(t) } */
 
 	nargs = btf_type_vlen(func_proto);
@@ -11548,7 +11580,7 @@ static int do_check(struct bpf_verifier_env *env)
 				if (insn->src_reg == BPF_PSEUDO_CALL)
 					err = check_func_call(env, insn, &env->insn_idx);
 				else if (insn->src_reg == BPF_PSEUDO_KFUNC_CALL)
-					err = check_kfunc_call(env, insn);
+					err = check_kfunc_call(env, insn, &env->insn_idx);
 				else
 					err = check_helper_call(env, insn, &env->insn_idx);
 				if (err)