diff --git a/internal/btf/core_reloc_test.go b/internal/btf/core_reloc_test.go
index b254efc49..c150c395a 100644
--- a/internal/btf/core_reloc_test.go
+++ b/internal/btf/core_reloc_test.go
@@ -90,8 +90,6 @@ func TestCORERelocationRead(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		defer tgt.Close()
 
-		testutils.SkipOnOldKernel(t, "4.16", "bpf2bpf calls")
-
 		for _, progSpec := range spec.Programs {
 			t.Run(progSpec.Name, func(t *testing.T) {
 				if _, err := tgt.Seek(0, io.SeekStart); err != nil {
@@ -101,6 +99,7 @@ func TestCORERelocationRead(t *testing.T) {
 				prog, err := ebpf.NewProgramWithOptions(progSpec, ebpf.ProgramOptions{
 					TargetBTF: tgt,
 				})
+				testutils.SkipIfNotSupported(t, err)
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Fatal("Load program:", err)
 				}
diff --git a/linker.go b/linker.go
index eab69b686..052abc1a6 100644
--- a/linker.go
+++ b/linker.go
@@ -169,6 +169,10 @@ func fixupAndValidate(insns asm.Instructions) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("instruction %d: map %s: %w", iter.Index, ins.Reference(), asm.ErrUnsatisfiedMapReference)
 		}
 
+		if ins.IsFunctionReference() && haveBPFToBPFCalls() != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("kernel does not support bpf2bpf function calls: %w", haveBPFToBPFCalls())
+		}
+
 		fixupProbeReadKernel(ins)
 	}
 
diff --git a/linker_test.go b/linker_test.go
index 283a842d8..cfa28bb8e 100644
--- a/linker_test.go
+++ b/linker_test.go
@@ -42,9 +42,8 @@ func TestFindReferences(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	testutils.SkipOnOldKernel(t, "4.16", "bpf2bpf calls")
-
 	prog, err := NewProgram(progs["entrypoint"])
+	testutils.SkipIfNotSupported(t, err)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -66,8 +65,6 @@ func TestForwardFunctionDeclaration(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		testutils.SkipOnOldKernel(t, "4.16", "bpf2bpf calls")
-
 		if coll.ByteOrder != internal.NativeEndian {
 			return
 		}
@@ -76,6 +73,7 @@ func TestForwardFunctionDeclaration(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// This program calls an unimplemented forward function declaration.
 		_, err = NewProgram(spec)
+		testutils.SkipIfNotSupported(t, err)
 		if !errors.Is(err, asm.ErrUnsatisfiedProgramReference) {
 			t.Fatal("Expected an error wrapping ErrUnsatisfiedProgramReference, got:", err)
 		}
diff --git a/prog_test.go b/prog_test.go
index 78f1e9adf..50257d1b3 100644
--- a/prog_test.go
+++ b/prog_test.go
@@ -374,6 +374,7 @@ func TestProgramWithUnsatisfiedMap(t *testing.T) {
 	progSpec.ByteOrder = nil
 
 	_, err = NewProgram(progSpec)
+	testutils.SkipIfNotSupported(t, err)
 	if !errors.Is(err, asm.ErrUnsatisfiedMapReference) {
 		t.Fatal("Expected an error wrapping asm.ErrUnsatisfiedMapReference, got", err)
 	}
diff --git a/syscalls.go b/syscalls.go
index ccbbe096e..a0ebab2b8 100644
--- a/syscalls.go
+++ b/syscalls.go
@@ -38,6 +38,21 @@ func invalidBPFObjNameChar(char rune) bool {
 	}
 }
 
+func progLoad(insns asm.Instructions, license string) (*sys.FD, error) {
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0, insns.Size()))
+	if err := insns.Marshal(buf, internal.NativeEndian); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	bytecode := buf.Bytes()
+
+	return sys.ProgLoad(&sys.ProgLoadAttr{
+		ProgType: sys.ProgType(Kprobe),
+		License:  sys.NewStringPointer("GPL"),
+		Insns:    sys.NewSlicePointer(bytecode),
+		InsnCnt:  uint32(len(bytecode) / asm.InstructionSize),
+	})
+}
+
 var haveNestedMaps = internal.FeatureTest("nested maps", "4.12", func() error {
 	_, err := sys.MapCreate(&sys.MapCreateAttr{
 		MapType:    sys.MapType(ArrayOfMaps),
@@ -226,21 +241,30 @@ var haveProbeReadKernel = internal.FeatureTest("bpf_probe_read_kernel", "5.5", f
 		asm.FnProbeReadKernel.Call(),
 		asm.Return(),
 	}
-	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0, insns.Size()))
-	if err := insns.Marshal(buf, internal.NativeEndian); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	bytecode := buf.Bytes()
 
-	fd, err := sys.ProgLoad(&sys.ProgLoadAttr{
-		ProgType: sys.ProgType(Kprobe),
-		License:  sys.NewStringPointer("GPL"),
-		Insns:    sys.NewSlicePointer(bytecode),
-		InsnCnt:  uint32(len(bytecode) / asm.InstructionSize),
-	})
+	fd, err := progLoad(insns, "GPL")
 	if err != nil {
 		return internal.ErrNotSupported
 	}
 	_ = fd.Close()
 	return nil
 })
+
+var haveBPFToBPFCalls = internal.FeatureTest("bpf2bpf calls", "4.16", func() error {
+	insns := asm.Instructions{
+		asm.Call.Label("prog2").WithSymbol("prog1"),
+		asm.Return(),
+		asm.Mov.Imm(asm.R0, 0).WithSymbol("prog2"),
+		asm.Return(),
+	}
+
+	fd, err := progLoad(insns, "MIT")
+	if errors.Is(err, unix.EINVAL) {
+		return internal.ErrNotSupported
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_ = fd.Close()
+	return nil
+})
diff --git a/syscalls_test.go b/syscalls_test.go
index 7ad03c079..e9735b7ff 100644
--- a/syscalls_test.go
+++ b/syscalls_test.go
@@ -54,3 +54,7 @@ func TestHaveInnerMaps(t *testing.T) {
 func TestHaveProbeReadKernel(t *testing.T) {
 	testutils.CheckFeatureTest(t, haveProbeReadKernel)
 }
+
+func TestHaveBPFToBPFCalls(t *testing.T) {
+	testutils.CheckFeatureTest(t, haveBPFToBPFCalls)
+}