diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_core_read.h b/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_core_read.h
index a273df3784f4f..0935cd68e7de2 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_core_read.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_core_read.h
@@ -12,9 +12,81 @@
  */
 enum bpf_field_info_kind {
 	BPF_FIELD_BYTE_OFFSET = 0,	/* field byte offset */
+	BPF_FIELD_BYTE_SIZE = 1,
 	BPF_FIELD_EXISTS = 2,		/* field existence in target kernel */
+	BPF_FIELD_SIGNED = 3,
+	BPF_FIELD_LSHIFT_U64 = 4,
+	BPF_FIELD_RSHIFT_U64 = 5,
 };
 
+#define __CORE_RELO(src, field, info)					      \
+	__builtin_preserve_field_info((src)->field, BPF_FIELD_##info)
+
+#if __BYTE_ORDER == __LITTLE_ENDIAN
+#define __CORE_BITFIELD_PROBE_READ(dst, src, fld)			      \
+	bpf_probe_read((void *)dst,					      \
+		       __CORE_RELO(src, fld, BYTE_SIZE),		      \
+		       (const void *)src + __CORE_RELO(src, fld, BYTE_OFFSET))
+#else
+/* semantics of LSHIFT_64 assumes loading values into low-ordered bytes, so
+ * for big-endian we need to adjust destination pointer accordingly, based on
+ * field byte size
+ */
+#define __CORE_BITFIELD_PROBE_READ(dst, src, fld)			      \
+	bpf_probe_read((void *)dst + (8 - __CORE_RELO(src, fld, BYTE_SIZE)),  \
+		       __CORE_RELO(src, fld, BYTE_SIZE),		      \
+		       (const void *)src + __CORE_RELO(src, fld, BYTE_OFFSET))
+#endif
+
+/*
+ * Extract bitfield, identified by src->field, and put its value into u64
+ * *res. All this is done in relocatable manner, so bitfield changes such as
+ * signedness, bit size, offset changes, this will be handled automatically.
+ * This version of macro is using bpf_probe_read() to read underlying integer
+ * storage. Macro functions as an expression and its return type is
+ * bpf_probe_read()'s return value: 0, on success, <0 on error.
+ */
+#define BPF_CORE_READ_BITFIELD_PROBED(src, field, res) ({		      \
+	unsigned long long val;						      \
+									      \
+	*res = 0;							      \
+	val = __CORE_BITFIELD_PROBE_READ(res, src, field);		      \
+	if (!val) {							      \
+		*res <<= __CORE_RELO(src, field, LSHIFT_U64);		      \
+		val = __CORE_RELO(src, field, RSHIFT_U64);		      \
+		if (__CORE_RELO(src, field, SIGNED))			      \
+			*res = ((long long)*res) >> val;		      \
+		else							      \
+			*res = ((unsigned long long)*res) >> val;	      \
+		val = 0;						      \
+	}								      \
+	val;								      \
+})
+
+/*
+ * Extract bitfield, identified by src->field, and return its value as u64.
+ * This version of macro is using direct memory reads and should be used from
+ * BPF program types that support such functionality (e.g., typed raw
+ * tracepoints).
+ */
+#define BPF_CORE_READ_BITFIELD(s, field) ({				      \
+	const void *p = (const void *)s + __CORE_RELO(s, field, BYTE_OFFSET); \
+	unsigned long long val;						      \
+									      \
+	switch (__CORE_RELO(s, field, BYTE_SIZE)) {			      \
+	case 1: val = *(const unsigned char *)p;			      \
+	case 2: val = *(const unsigned short *)p;			      \
+	case 4: val = *(const unsigned int *)p;				      \
+	case 8: val = *(const unsigned long long *)p;			      \
+	}								      \
+	val <<= __CORE_RELO(s, field, LSHIFT_U64);			      \
+	if (__CORE_RELO(s, field, SIGNED))				      \
+		val = ((long long)val) >> __CORE_RELO(s, field, RSHIFT_U64);  \
+	else								      \
+		val = val >> __CORE_RELO(s, field, RSHIFT_U64);		      \
+	val;								      \
+})
+
 /*
  * Convenience macro to check that field actually exists in target kernel's.
  * Returns:
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index 7aa2a2a22cefe..482af749f9cf8 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -2470,8 +2470,8 @@ struct bpf_core_spec {
 	int raw_spec[BPF_CORE_SPEC_MAX_LEN];
 	/* raw spec length */
 	int raw_len;
-	/* field byte offset represented by spec */
-	__u32 offset;
+	/* field bit offset represented by spec */
+	__u32 bit_offset;
 };
 
 static bool str_is_empty(const char *s)
@@ -2482,8 +2482,8 @@ static bool str_is_empty(const char *s)
 /*
  * Turn bpf_field_reloc into a low- and high-level spec representation,
  * validating correctness along the way, as well as calculating resulting
- * field offset (in bytes), specified by accessor string. Low-level spec
- * captures every single level of nestedness, including traversing anonymous
+ * field bit offset, specified by accessor string. Low-level spec captures
+ * every single level of nestedness, including traversing anonymous
  * struct/union members. High-level one only captures semantically meaningful
  * "turning points": named fields and array indicies.
  * E.g., for this case:
@@ -2555,7 +2555,7 @@ static int bpf_core_spec_parse(const struct btf *btf,
 	sz = btf__resolve_size(btf, id);
 	if (sz < 0)
 		return sz;
-	spec->offset = access_idx * sz;
+	spec->bit_offset = access_idx * sz * 8;
 
 	for (i = 1; i < spec->raw_len; i++) {
 		t = skip_mods_and_typedefs(btf, id, &id);
@@ -2566,17 +2566,13 @@ static int bpf_core_spec_parse(const struct btf *btf,
 
 		if (btf_is_composite(t)) {
 			const struct btf_member *m;
-			__u32 offset;
+			__u32 bit_offset;
 
 			if (access_idx >= btf_vlen(t))
 				return -EINVAL;
-			if (btf_member_bitfield_size(t, access_idx))
-				return -EINVAL;
 
-			offset = btf_member_bit_offset(t, access_idx);
-			if (offset % 8)
-				return -EINVAL;
-			spec->offset += offset / 8;
+			bit_offset = btf_member_bit_offset(t, access_idx);
+			spec->bit_offset += bit_offset;
 
 			m = btf_members(t) + access_idx;
 			if (m->name_off) {
@@ -2605,7 +2601,7 @@ static int bpf_core_spec_parse(const struct btf *btf,
 			sz = btf__resolve_size(btf, id);
 			if (sz < 0)
 				return sz;
-			spec->offset += access_idx * sz;
+			spec->bit_offset += access_idx * sz * 8;
 		} else {
 			pr_warn("relo for [%u] %s (at idx %d) captures type [%d] of unexpected kind %d\n",
 				type_id, spec_str, i, id, btf_kind(t));
@@ -2706,12 +2702,12 @@ static struct ids_vec *bpf_core_find_cands(const struct btf *local_btf,
 }
 
 /* Check two types for compatibility, skipping const/volatile/restrict and
- * typedefs, to ensure we are relocating offset to the compatible entities:
+ * typedefs, to ensure we are relocating compatible entities:
  *   - any two STRUCTs/UNIONs are compatible and can be mixed;
  *   - any two FWDs are compatible;
  *   - any two PTRs are always compatible;
  *   - for ENUMs, check sizes, names are ignored;
- *   - for INT, size and bitness should match, signedness is ignored;
+ *   - for INT, size and signedness are ignored;
  *   - for ARRAY, dimensionality is ignored, element types are checked for
  *     compatibility recursively;
  *   - everything else shouldn't be ever a target of relocation.
@@ -2743,10 +2739,11 @@ static int bpf_core_fields_are_compat(const struct btf *local_btf,
 	case BTF_KIND_ENUM:
 		return local_type->size == targ_type->size;
 	case BTF_KIND_INT:
+		/* just reject deprecated bitfield-like integers; all other
+		 * integers are by default compatible between each other
+		 */
 		return btf_int_offset(local_type) == 0 &&
-		       btf_int_offset(targ_type) == 0 &&
-		       local_type->size == targ_type->size &&
-		       btf_int_bits(local_type) == btf_int_bits(targ_type);
+		       btf_int_offset(targ_type) == 0;
 	case BTF_KIND_ARRAY:
 		local_id = btf_array(local_type)->type;
 		targ_id = btf_array(targ_type)->type;
@@ -2762,7 +2759,7 @@ static int bpf_core_fields_are_compat(const struct btf *local_btf,
  * Given single high-level named field accessor in local type, find
  * corresponding high-level accessor for a target type. Along the way,
  * maintain low-level spec for target as well. Also keep updating target
- * offset.
+ * bit offset.
  *
  * Searching is performed through recursive exhaustive enumeration of all
  * fields of a struct/union. If there are any anonymous (embedded)
@@ -2801,21 +2798,16 @@ static int bpf_core_match_member(const struct btf *local_btf,
 	n = btf_vlen(targ_type);
 	m = btf_members(targ_type);
 	for (i = 0; i < n; i++, m++) {
-		__u32 offset;
+		__u32 bit_offset;
 
-		/* bitfield relocations not supported */
-		if (btf_member_bitfield_size(targ_type, i))
-			continue;
-		offset = btf_member_bit_offset(targ_type, i);
-		if (offset % 8)
-			continue;
+		bit_offset = btf_member_bit_offset(targ_type, i);
 
 		/* too deep struct/union/array nesting */
 		if (spec->raw_len == BPF_CORE_SPEC_MAX_LEN)
 			return -E2BIG;
 
 		/* speculate this member will be the good one */
-		spec->offset += offset / 8;
+		spec->bit_offset += bit_offset;
 		spec->raw_spec[spec->raw_len++] = i;
 
 		targ_name = btf__name_by_offset(targ_btf, m->name_off);
@@ -2844,7 +2836,7 @@ static int bpf_core_match_member(const struct btf *local_btf,
 			return found;
 		}
 		/* member turned out not to be what we looked for */
-		spec->offset -= offset / 8;
+		spec->bit_offset -= bit_offset;
 		spec->raw_len--;
 	}
 
@@ -2853,7 +2845,7 @@ static int bpf_core_match_member(const struct btf *local_btf,
 
 /*
  * Try to match local spec to a target type and, if successful, produce full
- * target spec (high-level, low-level + offset).
+ * target spec (high-level, low-level + bit offset).
  */
 static int bpf_core_spec_match(struct bpf_core_spec *local_spec,
 			       const struct btf *targ_btf, __u32 targ_id,
@@ -2916,13 +2908,110 @@ static int bpf_core_spec_match(struct bpf_core_spec *local_spec,
 			sz = btf__resolve_size(targ_btf, targ_id);
 			if (sz < 0)
 				return sz;
-			targ_spec->offset += local_acc->idx * sz;
+			targ_spec->bit_offset += local_acc->idx * sz * 8;
 		}
 	}
 
 	return 1;
 }
 
+static int bpf_core_calc_field_relo(const struct bpf_program *prog,
+				    const struct bpf_field_reloc *relo,
+				    const struct bpf_core_spec *spec,
+				    __u32 *val, bool *validate)
+{
+	const struct bpf_core_accessor *acc = &spec->spec[spec->len - 1];
+	const struct btf_type *t = btf__type_by_id(spec->btf, acc->type_id);
+	__u32 byte_off, byte_sz, bit_off, bit_sz;
+	const struct btf_member *m;
+	const struct btf_type *mt;
+	bool bitfield;
+
+	/* a[n] accessor needs special handling */
+	if (!acc->name) {
+		if (relo->kind != BPF_FIELD_BYTE_OFFSET) {
+			pr_warn("prog '%s': relo %d at insn #%d can't be applied to array access'\n",
+				bpf_program__title(prog, false),
+				relo->kind, relo->insn_off / 8);
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+		*val = spec->bit_offset / 8;
+		if (validate)
+			*validate = true;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	m = btf_members(t) + acc->idx;
+	mt = skip_mods_and_typedefs(spec->btf, m->type, NULL);
+	bit_off = spec->bit_offset;
+	bit_sz = btf_member_bitfield_size(t, acc->idx);
+
+	bitfield = bit_sz > 0;
+	if (bitfield) {
+		byte_sz = mt->size;
+		byte_off = bit_off / 8 / byte_sz * byte_sz;
+		/* figure out smallest int size necessary for bitfield load */
+		while (bit_off + bit_sz - byte_off * 8 > byte_sz * 8) {
+			if (byte_sz >= 8) {
+				/* bitfield can't be read with 64-bit read */
+				pr_warn("prog '%s': relo %d at insn #%d can't be satisfied for bitfield\n",
+					bpf_program__title(prog, false),
+					relo->kind, relo->insn_off / 8);
+				return -E2BIG;
+			}
+			byte_sz *= 2;
+			byte_off = bit_off / 8 / byte_sz * byte_sz;
+		}
+	} else {
+		byte_sz = mt->size;
+		byte_off = spec->bit_offset / 8;
+		bit_sz = byte_sz * 8;
+	}
+
+	/* for bitfields, all the relocatable aspects are ambiguous and we
+	 * might disagree with compiler, so turn off validation of expected
+	 * value, except for signedness
+	 */
+	if (validate)
+		*validate = !bitfield;
+
+	switch (relo->kind) {
+	case BPF_FIELD_BYTE_OFFSET:
+		*val = byte_off;
+		break;
+	case BPF_FIELD_BYTE_SIZE:
+		*val = byte_sz;
+		break;
+	case BPF_FIELD_SIGNED:
+		/* enums will be assumed unsigned */
+		*val = btf_is_enum(mt) ||
+		       (btf_int_encoding(mt) & BTF_INT_SIGNED);
+		if (validate)
+			*validate = true; /* signedness is never ambiguous */
+		break;
+	case BPF_FIELD_LSHIFT_U64:
+#if __BYTE_ORDER == __LITTLE_ENDIAN
+		*val = 64 - (bit_off + bit_sz - byte_off  * 8);
+#else
+		*val = (8 - byte_sz) * 8 + (bit_off - byte_off * 8);
+#endif
+		break;
+	case BPF_FIELD_RSHIFT_U64:
+		*val = 64 - bit_sz;
+		if (validate)
+			*validate = true; /* right shift is never ambiguous */
+		break;
+	case BPF_FIELD_EXISTS:
+	default:
+		pr_warn("prog '%s': unknown relo %d at insn #%d\n",
+			bpf_program__title(prog, false),
+			relo->kind, relo->insn_off / 8);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Patch relocatable BPF instruction.
  *
@@ -2942,36 +3031,31 @@ static int bpf_core_reloc_insn(struct bpf_program *prog,
 			       const struct bpf_core_spec *local_spec,
 			       const struct bpf_core_spec *targ_spec)
 {
+	bool failed = false, validate = true;
 	__u32 orig_val, new_val;
 	struct bpf_insn *insn;
-	int insn_idx;
+	int insn_idx, err;
 	__u8 class;
 
 	if (relo->insn_off % sizeof(struct bpf_insn))
 		return -EINVAL;
 	insn_idx = relo->insn_off / sizeof(struct bpf_insn);
 
-	switch (relo->kind) {
-	case BPF_FIELD_BYTE_OFFSET:
-		orig_val = local_spec->offset;
-		if (targ_spec) {
-			new_val = targ_spec->offset;
-		} else {
-			pr_warn("prog '%s': patching insn #%d w/ failed reloc, imm %d -> %d\n",
-				bpf_program__title(prog, false), insn_idx,
-				orig_val, -1);
-			new_val = (__u32)-1;
-		}
-		break;
-	case BPF_FIELD_EXISTS:
+	if (relo->kind == BPF_FIELD_EXISTS) {
 		orig_val = 1; /* can't generate EXISTS relo w/o local field */
 		new_val = targ_spec ? 1 : 0;
-		break;
-	default:
-		pr_warn("prog '%s': unknown relo %d at insn #%d'\n",
-			bpf_program__title(prog, false),
-			relo->kind, insn_idx);
-		return -EINVAL;
+	} else if (!targ_spec) {
+		failed = true;
+		new_val = (__u32)-1;
+	} else {
+		err = bpf_core_calc_field_relo(prog, relo, local_spec,
+					       &orig_val, &validate);
+		if (err)
+			return err;
+		err = bpf_core_calc_field_relo(prog, relo, targ_spec,
+					       &new_val, NULL);
+		if (err)
+			return err;
 	}
 
 	insn = &prog->insns[insn_idx];
@@ -2980,12 +3064,17 @@ static int bpf_core_reloc_insn(struct bpf_program *prog,
 	if (class == BPF_ALU || class == BPF_ALU64) {
 		if (BPF_SRC(insn->code) != BPF_K)
 			return -EINVAL;
-		if (insn->imm != orig_val)
+		if (!failed && validate && insn->imm != orig_val) {
+			pr_warn("prog '%s': unexpected insn #%d value: got %u, exp %u -> %u\n",
+				bpf_program__title(prog, false), insn_idx,
+				insn->imm, orig_val, new_val);
 			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+		orig_val = insn->imm;
 		insn->imm = new_val;
-		pr_debug("prog '%s': patched insn #%d (ALU/ALU64) imm %d -> %d\n",
-			 bpf_program__title(prog, false),
-			 insn_idx, orig_val, new_val);
+		pr_debug("prog '%s': patched insn #%d (ALU/ALU64)%s imm %u -> %u\n",
+			 bpf_program__title(prog, false), insn_idx,
+			 failed ? " w/ failed reloc" : "", orig_val, new_val);
 	} else {
 		pr_warn("prog '%s': trying to relocate unrecognized insn #%d, code:%x, src:%x, dst:%x, off:%x, imm:%x\n",
 			bpf_program__title(prog, false),
@@ -3103,7 +3192,8 @@ static void bpf_core_dump_spec(int level, const struct bpf_core_spec *spec)
 		libbpf_print(level, "%d%s", spec->raw_spec[i],
 			     i == spec->raw_len - 1 ? " => " : ":");
 
-	libbpf_print(level, "%u @ &x", spec->offset);
+	libbpf_print(level, "%u.%u @ &x",
+		     spec->bit_offset / 8, spec->bit_offset % 8);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < spec->len; i++) {
 		if (spec->spec[i].name)
@@ -3217,7 +3307,8 @@ static int bpf_core_reloc_field(struct bpf_program *prog,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	pr_debug("prog '%s': relo #%d: spec is ", prog_name, relo_idx);
+	pr_debug("prog '%s': relo #%d: kind %d, spec is ", prog_name, relo_idx,
+		 relo->kind);
 	bpf_core_dump_spec(LIBBPF_DEBUG, &local_spec);
 	libbpf_print(LIBBPF_DEBUG, "\n");
 
@@ -3257,13 +3348,13 @@ static int bpf_core_reloc_field(struct bpf_program *prog,
 
 		if (j == 0) {
 			targ_spec = cand_spec;
-		} else if (cand_spec.offset != targ_spec.offset) {
+		} else if (cand_spec.bit_offset != targ_spec.bit_offset) {
 			/* if there are many candidates, they should all
-			 * resolve to the same offset
+			 * resolve to the same bit offset
 			 */
 			pr_warn("prog '%s': relo #%d: offset ambiguity: %u != %u\n",
-				prog_name, relo_idx, cand_spec.offset,
-				targ_spec.offset);
+				prog_name, relo_idx, cand_spec.bit_offset,
+				targ_spec.bit_offset);
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
 
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_internal.h b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_internal.h
index bd6f48ea407b6..97ac17a64a58d 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_internal.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_internal.h
@@ -158,7 +158,11 @@ struct bpf_line_info_min {
  */
 enum bpf_field_info_kind {
 	BPF_FIELD_BYTE_OFFSET = 0,	/* field byte offset */
+	BPF_FIELD_BYTE_SIZE = 1,
 	BPF_FIELD_EXISTS = 2,		/* field existence in target kernel */
+	BPF_FIELD_SIGNED = 3,
+	BPF_FIELD_LSHIFT_U64 = 4,
+	BPF_FIELD_RSHIFT_U64 = 5,
 };
 
 /* The minimum bpf_field_reloc checked by the loader