diff --git a/elf_reader.go b/elf_reader.go
index b80043d97..d471f0e27 100644
--- a/elf_reader.go
+++ b/elf_reader.go
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ func LoadCollectionSpecFromReader(rd io.ReaderAt) (*CollectionSpec, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// Checks if the ELF file is for BPF data.
+	// Old LLVM versions set e_machine to EM_NONE.
+	if f.File.Machine != unix.EM_NONE && f.File.Machine != elf.EM_BPF {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected machine type for BPF ELF: %s", f.File.Machine)
+	}
+
 	var (
 		licenseSection *elf.Section
 		versionSection *elf.Section
diff --git a/internal/unix/types_linux.go b/internal/unix/types_linux.go
index 7113cd434..04b828b4c 100644
--- a/internal/unix/types_linux.go
+++ b/internal/unix/types_linux.go
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ const (
 	SIGPROF                   = linux.SIGPROF
 	SIG_BLOCK                 = linux.SIG_BLOCK
 	SIG_UNBLOCK               = linux.SIG_UNBLOCK
+	EM_NONE                   = linux.EM_NONE
+	EM_BPF                    = linux.EM_BPF
 )
 
 type Statfs_t = linux.Statfs_t
diff --git a/internal/unix/types_other.go b/internal/unix/types_other.go
index 6e2b98169..e87bf830a 100644
--- a/internal/unix/types_other.go
+++ b/internal/unix/types_other.go
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ const (
 	SIGPROF
 	SIG_BLOCK
 	SIG_UNBLOCK
+	EM_NONE
+	EM_BPF
 )
 
 type Statfs_t struct {