diff --git a/samples/bpf/Makefile b/samples/bpf/Makefile
index 1d9be26b4edd..a11d7270583d 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/samples/bpf/Makefile
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ $(obj)/hbm_edt_kern.o: $(src)/hbm.h $(src)/hbm_kern.h
 $(obj)/%.o: $(src)/%.c
 	@echo "  CLANG-bpf " $@
 	$(Q)$(CLANG) $(NOSTDINC_FLAGS) $(LINUXINCLUDE) $(EXTRA_CFLAGS) -I$(obj) \
-		-I$(srctree)/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/ \
+		-I$(srctree)/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/ -I$(srctree)/tools/lib/bpf/ \
 		-D__KERNEL__ -D__BPF_TRACING__ -Wno-unused-value -Wno-pointer-sign \
 		-D__TARGET_ARCH_$(SRCARCH) -Wno-compare-distinct-pointer-types \
 		-Wno-gnu-variable-sized-type-not-at-end \
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/.gitignore b/tools/lib/bpf/.gitignore
index 12382b0c71c7..35bf013e368c 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/.gitignore
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/.gitignore
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ libbpf.so.*
 TAGS
 tags
 cscope.*
+/bpf_helper_defs.h
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile b/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
index 10b77644a17c..974453564f01 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ all: fixdep
 
 all_cmd: $(CMD_TARGETS) check
 
-$(BPF_IN): force elfdep bpfdep
+$(BPF_IN): force elfdep bpfdep bpf_helper_defs.h
 	@(test -f ../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h -a -f ../../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h && ( \
 	(diff -B ../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h ../../../include/uapi/linux/bpf.h >/dev/null) || \
 	echo "Warning: Kernel ABI header at 'tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h' differs from latest version at 'include/uapi/linux/bpf.h'" >&2 )) || true
@@ -175,6 +175,10 @@ $(BPF_IN): force elfdep bpfdep
 	echo "Warning: Kernel ABI header at 'tools/include/uapi/linux/if_xdp.h' differs from latest version at 'include/uapi/linux/if_xdp.h'" >&2 )) || true
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=libbpf
 
+bpf_helper_defs.h: $(srctree)/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
+	$(Q)$(srctree)/scripts/bpf_helpers_doc.py --header 		\
+		--file $(srctree)/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h > bpf_helper_defs.h
+
 $(OUTPUT)libbpf.so: $(OUTPUT)libbpf.so.$(LIBBPF_VERSION)
 
 $(OUTPUT)libbpf.so.$(LIBBPF_VERSION): $(BPF_IN)
@@ -236,13 +240,17 @@ install_lib: all_cmd
 		$(call do_install_mkdir,$(libdir_SQ)); \
 		cp -fpR $(LIB_FILE) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir_SQ)
 
-install_headers:
+install_headers: bpf_helper_defs.h
 	$(call QUIET_INSTALL, headers) \
 		$(call do_install,bpf.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
 		$(call do_install,libbpf.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
 		$(call do_install,btf.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
 		$(call do_install,libbpf_util.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
-		$(call do_install,xsk.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644);
+		$(call do_install,xsk.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
+		$(call do_install,bpf_helpers.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
+		$(call do_install,bpf_helper_defs.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
+		$(call do_install,bpf_tracing.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644); \
+		$(call do_install,bpf_endian.h,$(prefix)/include/bpf,644);
 
 install_pkgconfig: $(PC_FILE)
 	$(call QUIET_INSTALL, $(PC_FILE)) \
@@ -259,7 +267,7 @@ config-clean:
 clean:
 	$(call QUIET_CLEAN, libbpf) $(RM) $(TARGETS) $(CXX_TEST_TARGET) \
 		*.o *~ *.a *.so *.so.$(LIBBPF_MAJOR_VERSION) .*.d .*.cmd \
-		*.pc LIBBPF-CFLAGS
+		*.pc LIBBPF-CFLAGS bpf_helper_defs.h
 	$(call QUIET_CLEAN, core-gen) $(RM) $(OUTPUT)FEATURE-DUMP.libbpf
 
 
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/bpf_endian.h b/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_endian.h
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/testing/selftests/bpf/bpf_endian.h
rename to tools/lib/bpf/bpf_endian.h
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/bpf_helpers.h b/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_helpers.h
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/testing/selftests/bpf/bpf_helpers.h
rename to tools/lib/bpf/bpf_helpers.h
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/bpf_tracing.h b/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_tracing.h
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/testing/selftests/bpf/bpf_tracing.h
rename to tools/lib/bpf/bpf_tracing.h
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore
index 50063f66539d..7470327edcfe 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/.gitignore
@@ -39,4 +39,3 @@ libbpf.so.*
 test_hashmap
 test_btf_dump
 xdping
-/bpf_helper_defs.h
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
index 771a4e82128b..90944b7a8274 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
@@ -90,10 +90,6 @@ include ../lib.mk
 TEST_CUSTOM_PROGS = $(OUTPUT)/urandom_read
 all: $(TEST_CUSTOM_PROGS)
 
-bpf_helper_defs.h: $(APIDIR)/linux/bpf.h
-	$(BPFDIR)/../../../scripts/bpf_helpers_doc.py --header 		\
-		--file $(APIDIR)/linux/bpf.h > bpf_helper_defs.h
-
 $(OUTPUT)/urandom_read: $(OUTPUT)/%: %.c
 	$(CC) -o $@ $< -Wl,--build-id
 
@@ -127,7 +123,7 @@ $(OUTPUT)/test_cgroup_attach: cgroup_helpers.c
 # force a rebuild of BPFOBJ when its dependencies are updated
 force:
 
-$(BPFOBJ): force bpf_helper_defs.h
+$(BPFOBJ): force
 	$(MAKE) -C $(BPFDIR) OUTPUT=$(OUTPUT)/
 
 PROBE := $(shell $(LLC) -march=bpf -mcpu=probe -filetype=null /dev/null 2>&1)
@@ -152,7 +148,7 @@ $(shell $(1) -v -E - </dev/null 2>&1 \
 endef
 CLANG_SYS_INCLUDES = $(call get_sys_includes,$(CLANG))
 BPF_CFLAGS = -I. -I./include/uapi -I../../../include/uapi \
-	     -I$(OUTPUT)/../usr/include -D__TARGET_ARCH_$(SRCARCH)
+	     -I$(BPFDIR) -I$(OUTPUT)/../usr/include -D__TARGET_ARCH_$(SRCARCH)
 
 CLANG_CFLAGS = $(CLANG_SYS_INCLUDES) \
 	       -Wno-compare-distinct-pointer-types
@@ -323,4 +319,4 @@ $(VERIFIER_TESTS_H): $(VERIFIER_TEST_FILES) | $(VERIFIER_TESTS_DIR)
 
 EXTRA_CLEAN := $(TEST_CUSTOM_PROGS) $(ALU32_BUILD_DIR) $(BPF_GCC_BUILD_DIR) \
 	$(VERIFIER_TESTS_H) $(PROG_TESTS_H) $(MAP_TESTS_H) \
-	feature bpf_helper_defs.h
+	feature