diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index e98a8381aad8..dac905171aaf 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -11812,6 +11812,49 @@ int libbpf_num_possible_cpus(void)
 	return tmp_cpus;
 }
 
+static int populate_skeleton_maps(const struct bpf_object *obj,
+				  struct bpf_map_skeleton *maps,
+				  size_t map_cnt)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < map_cnt; i++) {
+		struct bpf_map **map = maps[i].map;
+		const char *name = maps[i].name;
+		void **mmaped = maps[i].mmaped;
+
+		*map = bpf_object__find_map_by_name(obj, name);
+		if (!*map) {
+			pr_warn("failed to find skeleton map '%s'\n", name);
+			return -ESRCH;
+		}
+
+		/* externs shouldn't be pre-setup from user code */
+		if (mmaped && (*map)->libbpf_type != LIBBPF_MAP_KCONFIG)
+			*mmaped = (*map)->mmaped;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int populate_skeleton_progs(const struct bpf_object *obj,
+				   struct bpf_prog_skeleton *progs,
+				   size_t prog_cnt)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < prog_cnt; i++) {
+		struct bpf_program **prog = progs[i].prog;
+		const char *name = progs[i].name;
+
+		*prog = bpf_object__find_program_by_name(obj, name);
+		if (!*prog) {
+			pr_warn("failed to find skeleton program '%s'\n", name);
+			return -ESRCH;
+		}
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int bpf_object__open_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s,
 			      const struct bpf_object_open_opts *opts)
 {
@@ -11819,7 +11862,7 @@ int bpf_object__open_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s,
 		.object_name = s->name,
 	);
 	struct bpf_object *obj;
-	int i, err;
+	int err;
 
 	/* Attempt to preserve opts->object_name, unless overriden by user
 	 * explicitly. Overwriting object name for skeletons is discouraged,
@@ -11842,37 +11885,88 @@ int bpf_object__open_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s,
 	}
 
 	*s->obj = obj;
+	err = populate_skeleton_maps(obj, s->maps, s->map_cnt);
+	if (err) {
+		pr_warn("failed to populate skeleton maps for '%s': %d\n", s->name, err);
+		return libbpf_err(err);
+	}
 
-	for (i = 0; i < s->map_cnt; i++) {
-		struct bpf_map **map = s->maps[i].map;
-		const char *name = s->maps[i].name;
-		void **mmaped = s->maps[i].mmaped;
+	err = populate_skeleton_progs(obj, s->progs, s->prog_cnt);
+	if (err) {
+		pr_warn("failed to populate skeleton progs for '%s': %d\n", s->name, err);
+		return libbpf_err(err);
+	}
 
-		*map = bpf_object__find_map_by_name(obj, name);
-		if (!*map) {
-			pr_warn("failed to find skeleton map '%s'\n", name);
-			return libbpf_err(-ESRCH);
-		}
+	return 0;
+}
 
-		/* externs shouldn't be pre-setup from user code */
-		if (mmaped && (*map)->libbpf_type != LIBBPF_MAP_KCONFIG)
-			*mmaped = (*map)->mmaped;
+int bpf_object__open_subskeleton(struct bpf_object_subskeleton *s)
+{
+	int err, len, var_idx, i;
+	const char *var_name;
+	const struct bpf_map *map;
+	struct btf *btf;
+	__u32 map_type_id;
+	const struct btf_type *map_type, *var_type;
+	const struct bpf_var_skeleton *var_skel;
+	struct btf_var_secinfo *var;
+
+	if (!s->obj)
+		return libbpf_err(-EINVAL);
+
+	btf = bpf_object__btf(s->obj);
+	if (!btf)
+		return libbpf_err(-errno);
+
+	err = populate_skeleton_maps(s->obj, s->maps, s->map_cnt);
+	if (err) {
+		pr_warn("failed to populate subskeleton maps: %d\n", err);
+		return libbpf_err(err);
 	}
 
-	for (i = 0; i < s->prog_cnt; i++) {
-		struct bpf_program **prog = s->progs[i].prog;
-		const char *name = s->progs[i].name;
+	err = populate_skeleton_progs(s->obj, s->progs, s->prog_cnt);
+	if (err) {
+		pr_warn("failed to populate subskeleton maps: %d\n", err);
+		return libbpf_err(err);
+	}
 
-		*prog = bpf_object__find_program_by_name(obj, name);
-		if (!*prog) {
-			pr_warn("failed to find skeleton program '%s'\n", name);
-			return libbpf_err(-ESRCH);
+	for (var_idx = 0; var_idx < s->var_cnt; var_idx++) {
+		var_skel = &s->vars[var_idx];
+		map = *var_skel->map;
+		map_type_id = bpf_map__btf_value_type_id(map);
+		map_type = btf__type_by_id(btf, map_type_id);
+
+		if (!btf_is_datasec(map_type)) {
+			pr_warn("Type for map '%1$s' is not a datasec: %2$s",
+				bpf_map__name(map),
+				__btf_kind_str(btf_kind(map_type)));
+			return libbpf_err(-EINVAL);
 		}
-	}
 
+		len = btf_vlen(map_type);
+		var = btf_var_secinfos(map_type);
+		for (i = 0; i < len; i++, var++) {
+			var_type = btf__type_by_id(btf, var->type);
+			var_name = btf__name_by_offset(btf, var_type->name_off);
+			if (strcmp(var_name, var_skel->name) == 0) {
+				*var_skel->addr = map->mmaped + var->offset;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void bpf_object__destroy_subskeleton(struct bpf_object_subskeleton *s)
+{
+	if (!s)
+		return;
+	free(s->maps);
+	free(s->progs);
+	free(s->vars);
+	free(s);
+}
+
 int bpf_object__load_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s)
 {
 	int i, err;
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
index c1b0c2ef14d8..1bff7647d797 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
@@ -1289,6 +1289,35 @@ LIBBPF_API int bpf_object__attach_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s);
 LIBBPF_API void bpf_object__detach_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s);
 LIBBPF_API void bpf_object__destroy_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s);
 
+struct bpf_var_skeleton {
+	const char *name;
+	struct bpf_map **map;
+	void **addr;
+};
+
+struct bpf_object_subskeleton {
+	size_t sz; /* size of this struct, for forward/backward compatibility */
+
+	const struct bpf_object *obj;
+
+	int map_cnt;
+	int map_skel_sz; /* sizeof(struct bpf_map_skeleton) */
+	struct bpf_map_skeleton *maps;
+
+	int prog_cnt;
+	int prog_skel_sz; /* sizeof(struct bpf_prog_skeleton) */
+	struct bpf_prog_skeleton *progs;
+
+	int var_cnt;
+	int var_skel_sz; /* sizeof(struct bpf_var_skeleton) */
+	struct bpf_var_skeleton *vars;
+};
+
+LIBBPF_API int
+bpf_object__open_subskeleton(struct bpf_object_subskeleton *s);
+LIBBPF_API void
+bpf_object__destroy_subskeleton(struct bpf_object_subskeleton *s);
+
 struct gen_loader_opts {
 	size_t sz; /* size of this struct, for forward/backward compatiblity */
 	const char *data;
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map
index df1b947792c8..087c77e520e1 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map
@@ -442,6 +442,8 @@ LIBBPF_0.7.0 {
 
 LIBBPF_0.8.0 {
 	global:
+		bpf_object__destroy_subskeleton;
+		bpf_object__open_subskeleton;
 		libbpf_register_prog_handler;
 		libbpf_unregister_prog_handler;
 } LIBBPF_0.7.0;
