diff --git a/libbtf.c b/libbtf.c
index 5b91d3a..6e06a58 100644
--- a/libbtf.c
+++ b/libbtf.c
@@ -741,9 +741,28 @@ static int btf_elf__write(const char *filename, struct btf *btf)
 	}
 
 	/*
-	 * First we check if there is already a .BTF section present.
+	 * The SHT is at the very end of the ELF and gets re-written in any case.
+	 *
+	 * We'll always add or update the .BTF section and when adding have to
+	 * re-write the section name string table (usually named .shstrtab). In
+	 * fact, as good citizens, we'll always leave the string table last, in
+	 * case someone else wants to add a section.
+	 *
+	 * However, if .BTF or the section name string table are followed by
+	 * further sections, we'll not try to be clever about shuffling
+	 * everything else in the ELF file, we'll just leave some dead space.
+	 * This actually happens in practice with vmlinux which has .strtab
+	 * after .shstrtab, resulting in a (small) hole the size of the original
+	 * .shstrtab.
+	 */
+
+	/*
+	 * First we look if there was already a .BTF section present and
+	 * determine the first usable offset in the ELF (for .BTF and the
+	 * section name table).
 	 */
 	elf_getshdrstrndx(elf, &strndx);
+	size_t high_water_mark = 0;
 	Elf_Scn *btf_scn = 0;
 	while ((scn = elf_nextscn(elf, scn)) != NULL) {
 		shdr = gelf_getshdr(scn, &shdr_mem);
@@ -752,7 +771,10 @@ static int btf_elf__write(const char *filename, struct btf *btf)
 		char *secname = elf_strptr(elf, strndx, shdr->sh_name);
 		if (strcmp(secname, ".BTF") == 0) {
 			btf_scn = scn;
-			break;
+		} else if (elf_ndxscn(scn) != strndx) {
+			size_t limit = shdr->sh_offset + shdr->sh_size;
+			if (limit > high_water_mark)
+				high_water_mark = limit;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -761,6 +783,12 @@ static int btf_elf__write(const char *filename, struct btf *btf)
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: elf_getscn(strndx) failed\n", __func__);
 		goto out;
 	}
+	GElf_Shdr str_shdr_mem;
+	GElf_Shdr *str_shdr = gelf_getshdr(str_scn, &str_shdr_mem);
+	if (!str_shdr) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s: elf_getshdr(str_scn) failed\n", __func__);
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	size_t dot_btf_offset = 0;
 	if (btf_scn) {
@@ -791,6 +819,7 @@ static int btf_elf__write(const char *filename, struct btf *btf)
 		str_data->d_buf = str_table;
 		str_data->d_size = new_str_size;
 		elf_flagdata(str_data, ELF_C_SET, ELF_F_DIRTY);
+		str_shdr->sh_size = new_str_size;
 
 		/* Create a new section */
 		btf_scn = elf_newscn(elf);
@@ -810,12 +839,15 @@ static int btf_elf__write(const char *filename, struct btf *btf)
 	/* (Re)populate the BTF section data */
 	raw_btf_data = btf__get_raw_data(btf, &raw_btf_size);
 	btf_data->d_buf = (void *)raw_btf_data;
+	btf_data->d_off = 0;
 	btf_data->d_size = raw_btf_size;
 	btf_data->d_type = ELF_T_BYTE;
 	btf_data->d_version = EV_CURRENT;
 	elf_flagdata(btf_data, ELF_C_SET, ELF_F_DIRTY);
 
 	/* Update .BTF section in the SHT */
+	size_t new_btf_offset = high_water_mark;
+	size_t new_btf_size = raw_btf_size;
 	GElf_Shdr btf_shdr_mem;
 	GElf_Shdr *btf_shdr = gelf_getshdr(btf_scn, &btf_shdr_mem);
 	if (!btf_shdr) {
@@ -827,6 +859,8 @@ static int btf_elf__write(const char *filename, struct btf *btf)
 	btf_shdr->sh_flags = SHF_ALLOC;
 	if (dot_btf_offset)
 		btf_shdr->sh_name = dot_btf_offset;
+	btf_shdr->sh_offset = new_btf_offset;
+	btf_shdr->sh_size = new_btf_size;
 	btf_shdr->sh_type = SHT_PROGBITS;
 	if (!gelf_update_shdr(btf_scn, btf_shdr)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: gelf_update_shdr failed: %s\n",
@@ -834,6 +868,32 @@ static int btf_elf__write(const char *filename, struct btf *btf)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	/* Update section name string table */
+	size_t new_str_offset = new_btf_offset + new_btf_size;
+	str_shdr->sh_offset = new_str_offset;
+	if (!gelf_update_shdr(str_scn, str_shdr)) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "gelf_update_shdr failed\n");
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	/* Update SHT, allowing for ELF64 alignment */
+	size_t sht_offset = roundup(new_str_offset + str_shdr->sh_size, 8);
+	ehdr->e_shoff = sht_offset;
+	if (!gelf_update_ehdr(elf, ehdr)) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "gelf_update_ehdr failed\n");
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (btf_elf__verbose) {
+		fprintf(stderr, ".BTF [0x%lx, +0x%lx)\n",
+			btf_shdr->sh_offset, btf_shdr->sh_size);
+		fprintf(stderr, ".shstrtab [0x%lx, +0x%lx)\n",
+			str_shdr->sh_offset, str_shdr->sh_size);
+		fprintf(stderr, "SHT [0x%lx, +%d*0x%x)\n",
+			ehdr->e_shoff, ehdr->e_shnum, ehdr->e_shentsize);
+	}
+
+	elf_flagelf(elf, ELF_C_SET, ELF_F_LAYOUT);
 	if (elf_update(elf, ELF_C_NULL) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: elf_update (layout) failed: %s\n",
 			__func__, elf_errmsg(elf_errno()));
