diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 17f26ba1a9e0..edb650667f44 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -10201,8 +10201,8 @@ static int check_helper_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn
 	if (env->ops->get_func_proto)
 		fn = env->ops->get_func_proto(func_id, env->prog);
 	if (!fn) {
-		verbose(env, "unknown func %s#%d\n", func_id_name(func_id),
-			func_id);
+		verbose(env, "program of this type cannot use helper %s#%d\n",
+			func_id_name(func_id), func_id);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/bpf/bpftool/feature.c b/tools/bpf/bpftool/feature.c
index 708733b0ea06..c754a428c8c6 100644
--- a/tools/bpf/bpftool/feature.c
+++ b/tools/bpf/bpftool/feature.c
@@ -664,7 +664,8 @@ probe_helper_ifindex(enum bpf_func_id id, enum bpf_prog_type prog_type,
 
 	probe_prog_load_ifindex(prog_type, insns, ARRAY_SIZE(insns), buf,
 				sizeof(buf), ifindex);
-	res = !grep(buf, "invalid func ") && !grep(buf, "unknown func ");
+	res = !grep(buf, "invalid func ") && !grep(buf, "unknown func ") &&
+		!grep(buf, "program of this type cannot use helper ");
 
 	switch (get_vendor_id(ifindex)) {
 	case 0x19ee: /* Netronome specific */
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_probes.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_probes.c
index 302188122439..9dfbe7750f56 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_probes.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf_probes.c
@@ -448,7 +448,8 @@ int libbpf_probe_bpf_helper(enum bpf_prog_type prog_type, enum bpf_func_id helpe
 	/* If BPF verifier doesn't recognize BPF helper ID (enum bpf_func_id)
 	 * at all, it will emit something like "invalid func unknown#181".
 	 * If BPF verifier recognizes BPF helper but it's not supported for
-	 * given BPF program type, it will emit "unknown func bpf_sys_bpf#166".
+	 * given BPF program type, it will emit "unknown func bpf_sys_bpf#166"
+	 * or "program of this type cannot use helper bpf_sys_bpf#166".
 	 * In both cases, provided combination of BPF program type and BPF
 	 * helper is not supported by the kernel.
 	 * In all other cases, probe_prog_load() above will either succeed (e.g.,
@@ -457,7 +458,8 @@ int libbpf_probe_bpf_helper(enum bpf_prog_type prog_type, enum bpf_func_id helpe
 	 * that), or we'll get some more specific BPF verifier error about
 	 * some unsatisfied conditions.
 	 */
-	if (ret == 0 && (strstr(buf, "invalid func ") || strstr(buf, "unknown func ")))
+	if (ret == 0 && (strstr(buf, "invalid func ") || strstr(buf, "unknown func ") ||
+			 strstr(buf, "program of this type cannot use helper ")))
 		return 0;
 	return 1; /* assume supported */
 }
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/bpf_tcp_ca.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/bpf_tcp_ca.c
index 94cb22b01482..99dc60fe59d5 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/bpf_tcp_ca.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/bpf_tcp_ca.c
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ static void test_rel_setsockopt(void)
 	struct bpf_dctcp_release *rel_skel;
 	libbpf_print_fn_t old_print_fn;
 
-	err_str = "unknown func bpf_setsockopt";
+	err_str = "program of this type cannot use helper bpf_setsockopt";
 	found = false;
 
 	old_print_fn = libbpf_set_print(libbpf_debug_print);
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_helper_restricted.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_helper_restricted.c
index 0ede0ccd090c..059aa716e3d0 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_helper_restricted.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_helper_restricted.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ struct {
 
 SEC("kprobe")
 __description("bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns is forbidden in BPF_PROG_TYPE_KPROBE")
-__failure __msg("unknown func bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns")
+__failure __msg("program of this type cannot use helper bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns")
 __naked void in_bpf_prog_type_kprobe_1(void)
 {
 	asm volatile ("					\
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ __naked void in_bpf_prog_type_kprobe_1(void)
 
 SEC("tracepoint")
 __description("bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns is forbidden in BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACEPOINT")
-__failure __msg("unknown func bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns")
+__failure __msg("program of this type cannot use helper bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns")
 __naked void in_bpf_prog_type_tracepoint_1(void)
 {
 	asm volatile ("					\
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ __naked void in_bpf_prog_type_tracepoint_1(void)
 
 SEC("perf_event")
 __description("bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns is forbidden in BPF_PROG_TYPE_PERF_EVENT")
-__failure __msg("unknown func bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns")
+__failure __msg("program of this type cannot use helper bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns")
 __naked void bpf_prog_type_perf_event_1(void)
 {
 	asm volatile ("					\
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ __naked void bpf_prog_type_perf_event_1(void)
 
 SEC("raw_tracepoint")
 __description("bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns is forbidden in BPF_PROG_TYPE_RAW_TRACEPOINT")
-__failure __msg("unknown func bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns")
+__failure __msg("program of this type cannot use helper bpf_ktime_get_coarse_ns")
 __naked void bpf_prog_type_raw_tracepoint_1(void)
 {
 	asm volatile ("					\