diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
index 4eebc15670e3..42d9cf848b25 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
@@ -1029,12 +1029,23 @@ EXTRA_CLEAN := $(SCRATCH_DIR) $(HOST_SCRATCH_DIR)			\
 # Delete partially updated (corrupted) files on error
 .DELETE_ON_ERROR:
 
+# When permissive, tell rsync to ignore missing source arguments so that
+# partial builds do not abort installation.
+ifneq ($(PERMISSIVE),)
+override define INSTALL_SINGLE_RULE
+	$(if $(INSTALL_LIST),@mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PATH))
+	$(if $(INSTALL_LIST),rsync -a --copy-unsafe-links --ignore-missing-args $(INSTALL_LIST) $(INSTALL_PATH)/)
+endef
+endif
+
 DEFAULT_INSTALL_RULE := $(INSTALL_RULE)
 override define INSTALL_RULE
 	$(DEFAULT_INSTALL_RULE)
-	@for DIR in $(TEST_INST_SUBDIRS); do		  \
-		mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PATH)/$$DIR;   \
-		rsync -a $(OUTPUT)/$$DIR/*.bpf.o $(INSTALL_PATH)/$$DIR;\
+	@for DIR in $(TEST_INST_SUBDIRS); do				  \
+		mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PATH)/$$DIR;				  \
+		rsync -a $(if $(PERMISSIVE),--ignore-missing-args)	  \
+			$(OUTPUT)/$$DIR/*.bpf.o				  \
+			$(INSTALL_PATH)/$$DIR;				  \
 	done
 endef