diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/skel_internal.h b/tools/lib/bpf/skel_internal.h
index b22b50c1b173e8bf251ac5391ecf70d7346cd842..9cf66702fa8ddb015e87b4965d2b09644fa96532 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/skel_internal.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/skel_internal.h
@@ -105,10 +105,12 @@ static inline int bpf_load_and_run(struct bpf_load_and_run_opts *opts)
 	err = skel_sys_bpf(BPF_PROG_RUN, &attr, sizeof(attr));
 	if (err < 0 || (int)attr.test.retval < 0) {
 		opts->errstr = "failed to execute loader prog";
-		if (err < 0)
+		if (err < 0) {
 			err = -errno;
-		else
+		} else {
 			err = (int)attr.test.retval;
+			errno = -err;
+		}
 		goto out;
 	}
 	err = 0;