diff --git a/aya-obj/src/btf/btf.rs b/aya-obj/src/btf/btf.rs
index a94cac95..ec455376 100644
--- a/aya-obj/src/btf/btf.rs
+++ b/aya-obj/src/btf/btf.rs
@@ -942,8 +942,8 @@ impl BtfExt {
         self.info_data(self.header.line_info_off, self.header.line_info_len)
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn relocations(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &(u32, Vec<Relocation>)> {
-        self.relocations.iter()
+    pub(crate) fn relocations(&self) -> &[(u32, Vec<Relocation>)] {
+        self.relocations.as_slice()
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn func_info_rec_size(&self) -> usize {
diff --git a/aya-obj/src/obj.rs b/aya-obj/src/obj.rs
index 07417a81..b451595a 100644
--- a/aya-obj/src/obj.rs
+++ b/aya-obj/src/obj.rs
@@ -529,6 +529,13 @@ impl Object {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Returns true if this object contains CO-RE relocations.
+    pub fn has_btf_relocations(&self) -> bool {
+        self.btf_ext
+            .as_ref()
+            .is_some_and(|ext| !ext.relocations().is_empty())
+    }
+
     /// Patches map data
     pub fn patch_map_data(
         &mut self,
diff --git a/aya/src/bpf.rs b/aya/src/bpf.rs
index 5055e923..a2868f81 100644
--- a/aya/src/bpf.rs
+++ b/aya/src/bpf.rs
@@ -436,6 +436,10 @@ impl<'a> EbpfLoader<'a> {
                             }
                         }
 
+                        if obj.has_btf_relocations() {
+                            return Err(EbpfError::BtfError(err));
+                        }
+
                         warn!("object BTF couldn't be loaded in the kernel: {err}");
 
                         None
diff --git a/xtask/public-api/aya-obj.txt b/xtask/public-api/aya-obj.txt
index b04d69cf..b40c040d 100644
--- a/xtask/public-api/aya-obj.txt
+++ b/xtask/public-api/aya-obj.txt
@@ -8784,6 +8784,7 @@ pub aya_obj::obj::Object::programs: std::collections::hash::map::HashMap<alloc::
 impl aya_obj::Object
 pub fn aya_obj::Object::fixup_and_sanitize_btf(&mut self, features: &aya_obj::btf::BtfFeatures) -> core::result::Result<core::option::Option<&aya_obj::btf::Btf>, aya_obj::btf::BtfError>
 impl aya_obj::Object
+pub fn aya_obj::Object::has_btf_relocations(&self) -> bool
 pub fn aya_obj::Object::parse(data: &[u8]) -> core::result::Result<Self, aya_obj::ParseError>
 pub fn aya_obj::Object::patch_map_data(&mut self, globals: std::collections::hash::map::HashMap<&str, (&[u8], bool)>) -> core::result::Result<(), aya_obj::ParseError>
 pub fn aya_obj::Object::sanitize_functions(&mut self, features: &aya_obj::Features)
@@ -9646,6 +9647,7 @@ pub aya_obj::Object::programs: std::collections::hash::map::HashMap<alloc::strin
 impl aya_obj::Object
 pub fn aya_obj::Object::fixup_and_sanitize_btf(&mut self, features: &aya_obj::btf::BtfFeatures) -> core::result::Result<core::option::Option<&aya_obj::btf::Btf>, aya_obj::btf::BtfError>
 impl aya_obj::Object
+pub fn aya_obj::Object::has_btf_relocations(&self) -> bool
 pub fn aya_obj::Object::parse(data: &[u8]) -> core::result::Result<Self, aya_obj::ParseError>
 pub fn aya_obj::Object::patch_map_data(&mut self, globals: std::collections::hash::map::HashMap<&str, (&[u8], bool)>) -> core::result::Result<(), aya_obj::ParseError>
 pub fn aya_obj::Object::sanitize_functions(&mut self, features: &aya_obj::Features)