diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 75c93316547b..df8b23dc1eb0 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -2453,6 +2453,15 @@ sub get_raw_comment {
 	return $comment;
 }
 
+sub exclude_global_initialisers {
+	my ($realfile) = @_;
+
+	# Do not check for BPF programs (tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/*.c, samples/bpf/*_kern.c, *.bpf.c).
+	return $realfile =~ m@^tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/.*\.c$@ ||
+		$realfile =~ m@^samples/bpf/.*_kern\.c$@ ||
+		$realfile =~ m@/bpf/.*\.bpf\.c$@;
+}
+
 sub process {
 	my $filename = shift;
 
@@ -4358,7 +4367,8 @@ sub process {
 		}
 
 # check for global initialisers.
-		if ($line =~ /^\+$Type\s*$Ident(?:\s+$Modifier)*\s*=\s*($zero_initializer)\s*;/) {
+		if ($line =~ /^\+$Type\s*$Ident(?:\s+$Modifier)*\s*=\s*($zero_initializer)\s*;/ &&
+		    !exclude_global_initialisers($realfile)) {
 			if (ERROR("GLOBAL_INITIALISERS",
 				  "do not initialise globals to $1\n" . $herecurr) &&
 			    $fix) {