diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index 55990382bbc5..e4ac7a582e87 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -468,8 +468,6 @@ struct bpf_program {
 };
 
 struct bpf_struct_ops {
-	const char *tname;
-	const struct btf_type *type;
 	struct bpf_program **progs;
 	__u32 *kern_func_off;
 	/* e.g. struct tcp_congestion_ops in bpf_prog's btf format */
@@ -1014,8 +1012,8 @@ static int bpf_map__init_kern_struct_ops(struct bpf_map *map,
 	int err;
 
 	st_ops = map->st_ops;
-	type = st_ops->type;
-	tname = st_ops->tname;
+	type = btf__type_by_id(btf, st_ops->type_id);
+	tname = btf__name_by_offset(btf, type->name_off);
 	err = find_struct_ops_kern_types(kern_btf, tname,
 					 &kern_type, &kern_type_id,
 					 &kern_vtype, &kern_vtype_id,
@@ -1236,8 +1234,6 @@ static int init_struct_ops_maps(struct bpf_object *obj, const char *sec_name,
 		memcpy(st_ops->data,
 		       data->d_buf + vsi->offset,
 		       type->size);
-		st_ops->tname = tname;
-		st_ops->type = type;
 		st_ops->type_id = type_id;
 
 		pr_debug("struct_ops init: struct %s(type_id=%u) %s found at offset %u\n",
@@ -8453,11 +8449,13 @@ static int bpf_object__resolve_externs(struct bpf_object *obj,
 
 static void bpf_map_prepare_vdata(const struct bpf_map *map)
 {
+	const struct btf_type *type;
 	struct bpf_struct_ops *st_ops;
 	__u32 i;
 
 	st_ops = map->st_ops;
-	for (i = 0; i < btf_vlen(st_ops->type); i++) {
+	type = btf__type_by_id(map->obj->btf, st_ops->type_id);
+	for (i = 0; i < btf_vlen(type); i++) {
 		struct bpf_program *prog = st_ops->progs[i];
 		void *kern_data;
 		int prog_fd;
@@ -9696,6 +9694,7 @@ static struct bpf_map *find_struct_ops_map_by_offset(struct bpf_object *obj,
 static int bpf_object__collect_st_ops_relos(struct bpf_object *obj,
 					    Elf64_Shdr *shdr, Elf_Data *data)
 {
+	const struct btf_type *type;
 	const struct btf_member *member;
 	struct bpf_struct_ops *st_ops;
 	struct bpf_program *prog;
@@ -9755,13 +9754,14 @@ static int bpf_object__collect_st_ops_relos(struct bpf_object *obj,
 		}
 		insn_idx = sym->st_value / BPF_INSN_SZ;
 
-		member = find_member_by_offset(st_ops->type, moff * 8);
+		type = btf__type_by_id(btf, st_ops->type_id);
+		member = find_member_by_offset(type, moff * 8);
 		if (!member) {
 			pr_warn("struct_ops reloc %s: cannot find member at moff %u\n",
 				map->name, moff);
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
-		member_idx = member - btf_members(st_ops->type);
+		member_idx = member - btf_members(type);
 		name = btf__name_by_offset(btf, member->name_off);
 
 		if (!resolve_func_ptr(btf, member->type, NULL)) {