diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore
index 5025401323afb5..4e4aae8aa7ec71 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ test_tcp_check_syncookie_user
 test_sysctl
 xdping
 test_cpp
+*.d
 *.subskel.h
 *.skel.h
 *.lskel.h
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
index dd49c1d23a604c..05b234248b3807 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
@@ -477,7 +477,8 @@ xsk_xdp_progs.skel.h-deps := xsk_xdp_progs.bpf.o
 xdp_hw_metadata.skel.h-deps := xdp_hw_metadata.bpf.o
 xdp_features.skel.h-deps := xdp_features.bpf.o
 
-LINKED_BPF_SRCS := $(patsubst %.bpf.o,%.c,$(foreach skel,$(LINKED_SKELS),$($(skel)-deps)))
+LINKED_BPF_OBJS := $(foreach skel,$(LINKED_SKELS),$($(skel)-deps))
+LINKED_BPF_SRCS := $(patsubst %.bpf.o,%.c,$(LINKED_BPF_OBJS))
 
 # Set up extra TRUNNER_XXX "temporary" variables in the environment (relies on
 # $eval()) and pass control to DEFINE_TEST_RUNNER_RULES.
@@ -556,7 +557,11 @@ $(TRUNNER_BPF_LSKELS): %.lskel.h: %.bpf.o $(BPFTOOL) | $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)
 	$(Q)$$(BPFTOOL) gen skeleton -L $$(<:.o=.llinked3.o) name $$(notdir $$(<:.bpf.o=_lskel)) > $$@
 	$(Q)rm -f $$(<:.o=.llinked1.o) $$(<:.o=.llinked2.o) $$(<:.o=.llinked3.o)
 
-$(TRUNNER_BPF_SKELS_LINKED): $(TRUNNER_BPF_OBJS) $(BPFTOOL) | $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)
+$(LINKED_BPF_OBJS): %: $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%
+
+# .SECONDEXPANSION here allows to correctly expand %-deps variables as prerequisites
+.SECONDEXPANSION:
+$(TRUNNER_BPF_SKELS_LINKED): $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%: $$$$(%-deps) $(BPFTOOL) | $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)
 	$$(call msg,LINK-BPF,$(TRUNNER_BINARY),$$(@:.skel.h=.bpf.o))
 	$(Q)$$(BPFTOOL) gen object $$(@:.skel.h=.linked1.o) $$(addprefix $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/,$$($$(@F)-deps))
 	$(Q)$$(BPFTOOL) gen object $$(@:.skel.h=.linked2.o) $$(@:.skel.h=.linked1.o)
@@ -566,6 +571,14 @@ $(TRUNNER_BPF_SKELS_LINKED): $(TRUNNER_BPF_OBJS) $(BPFTOOL) | $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)
 	$(Q)$$(BPFTOOL) gen skeleton $$(@:.skel.h=.linked3.o) name $$(notdir $$(@:.skel.h=)) > $$@
 	$(Q)$$(BPFTOOL) gen subskeleton $$(@:.skel.h=.linked3.o) name $$(notdir $$(@:.skel.h=)) > $$(@:.skel.h=.subskel.h)
 	$(Q)rm -f $$(@:.skel.h=.linked1.o) $$(@:.skel.h=.linked2.o) $$(@:.skel.h=.linked3.o)
+
+# When the compiler generates a %.d file, only skel basenames (not
+# full paths) are specified as prerequisites for corresponding %.o
+# file. This target makes %.skel.h basename dependent on full paths,
+# linking generated %.d dependency with actual %.skel.h files.
+$(notdir %.skel.h): $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%.skel.h
+	@true
+
 endif
 
 # ensure we set up tests.h header generation rule just once
@@ -583,14 +596,19 @@ endif
 # Note: we cd into output directory to ensure embedded BPF object is found
 $(TRUNNER_TEST_OBJS): $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%.test.o:			\
 		      $(TRUNNER_TESTS_DIR)/%.c				\
-		      $(TRUNNER_EXTRA_HDRS)				\
-		      $(TRUNNER_BPF_OBJS)				\
-		      $(TRUNNER_BPF_SKELS)				\
-		      $(TRUNNER_BPF_LSKELS)				\
-		      $(TRUNNER_BPF_SKELS_LINKED)			\
-		      $$(BPFOBJ) | $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)
+		      $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%.test.d
 	$$(call msg,TEST-OBJ,$(TRUNNER_BINARY),$$@)
-	$(Q)cd $$(@D) && $$(CC) -I. $$(CFLAGS) -c $(CURDIR)/$$< $$(LDLIBS) -o $$(@F)
+	$(Q)cd $$(@D) && $$(CC) -I. $$(CFLAGS) -MMD -MT $$@ -c $(CURDIR)/$$< $$(LDLIBS) -o $$(@F)
+
+$(TRUNNER_TEST_OBJS:.o=.d): $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%.test.d:			\
+			    $(TRUNNER_TESTS_DIR)/%.c			\
+			    $(TRUNNER_EXTRA_HDRS)			\
+			    $(TRUNNER_BPF_SKELS)			\
+			    $(TRUNNER_BPF_LSKELS)			\
+			    $(TRUNNER_BPF_SKELS_LINKED)			\
+			    $$(BPFOBJ) | $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)
+
+include $(wildcard $(TRUNNER_TEST_OBJS:.o=.d))
 
 $(TRUNNER_EXTRA_OBJS): $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%.o:				\
 		       %.c						\
@@ -608,6 +626,9 @@ ifneq ($2:$(OUTPUT),:$(shell pwd))
 	$(Q)rsync -aq $$^ $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/
 endif
 
+# some X.test.o files have runtime dependencies on Y.bpf.o files
+$(OUTPUT)/$(TRUNNER_BINARY): | $(TRUNNER_BPF_OBJS)
+
 $(OUTPUT)/$(TRUNNER_BINARY): $(TRUNNER_TEST_OBJS)			\
 			     $(TRUNNER_EXTRA_OBJS) $$(BPFOBJ)		\
 			     $(RESOLVE_BTFIDS)				\
@@ -768,8 +789,8 @@ $(OUTPUT)/uprobe_multi: uprobe_multi.c
 
 EXTRA_CLEAN := $(SCRATCH_DIR) $(HOST_SCRATCH_DIR)			\
 	prog_tests/tests.h map_tests/tests.h verifier/tests.h		\
-	feature bpftool							\
-	$(addprefix $(OUTPUT)/,*.o *.skel.h *.lskel.h *.subskel.h	\
+	feature bpftool 						\
+	$(addprefix $(OUTPUT)/,*.o *.d *.skel.h *.lskel.h *.subskel.h	\
 			       no_alu32 cpuv4 bpf_gcc bpf_testmod.ko	\
 			       bpf_test_no_cfi.ko			\
 			       liburandom_read.so)