diff --git a/aya/src/bpf.rs b/aya/src/bpf.rs
index a5fb9273..03b2fa99 100644
--- a/aya/src/bpf.rs
+++ b/aya/src/bpf.rs
@@ -477,8 +477,13 @@ impl<'a> BpfLoader<'a> {
             let mut map = match obj.pinning() {
                 PinningType::None => MapData::create(obj, &name, btf_fd)?,
                 PinningType::ByName => {
-                    let path = map_pin_path.as_ref().ok_or(BpfError::NoPinPath)?;
-                    MapData::create_pinned(path, obj, &name, btf_fd)?
+                    let path = match &map_pin_path {
+                        Some(p) => p.to_owned(),
+                        // pin maps in /sys/fs/bpf by default to align with libbpf
+                        // behavior https://github.com/libbpf/libbpf/blob/v1.2.2/src/libbpf.c#L2161.
+                        None => PathBuf::from("/sys/fs/bpf"),
+                    };
+                    MapData::create_pinned_by_name(path, obj, &name, btf_fd)?
                 }
             };
             map.finalize()?;
diff --git a/aya/src/maps/mod.rs b/aya/src/maps/mod.rs
index 191c5883..e79b53e8 100644
--- a/aya/src/maps/mod.rs
+++ b/aya/src/maps/mod.rs
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ impl MapData {
         Ok(Self { obj, fd })
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn create_pinned<P: AsRef<Path>>(
+    pub(crate) fn create_pinned_by_name<P: AsRef<Path>>(
         path: P,
         obj: obj::Map,
         name: &str,
@@ -469,7 +469,6 @@ impl MapData {
             }
             Err(_) => {
                 let mut map = Self::create(obj, name, btf_fd)?;
-                let path = path.join(name);
                 map.pin(&path).map_err(|error| MapError::PinError {
                     name: Some(name.into()),
                     error,