diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
index 09de69a81112..7739799c2566 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/Makefile
@@ -588,6 +588,12 @@ endef
 # $2 - test runner extra "flavor" (e.g., no_alu32, cpuv4, bpf_gcc, etc)
 define DEFINE_TEST_RUNNER_RULES
 
+# Permissive build behaviour (skip-on-failure compile, partial-link) only
+# applies to test_progs and its flavors; runners that use strong cross-object
+# references (e.g. test_maps) keep strict semantics even when permissive.
+# The check is inlined per-runner so $1 is substituted at $(call) time and
+# the result is baked into each rule's recipe.
+
 ifeq ($($(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)-dir),)
 $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)-dir := y
 $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT):
@@ -717,11 +723,14 @@ $(TRUNNER_TEST_OBJS): $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%.test.o:			\
 		      $(TRUNNER_TESTS_DIR)/%.c				\
 		      | $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%.test.d
 	$$(call msg,TEST-OBJ,$(TRUNNER_BINARY),$$@)
-	$(Q)cd $$(@D) && $$(CC) -I. $$(CFLAGS) -MMD -MT $$@ -c $(CURDIR)/$$< $$(LDLIBS) -o $$(@F)
+	$(Q)(cd $$(@D) && $$(CC) -I. $$(CFLAGS) -MMD -MT $$@ -c $(CURDIR)/$$< $$(LDLIBS) -o $$(@F)) $(if $(filter test_progs%,$1),$(if $(PERMISSIVE),|| \
+		($(RM) $$@; printf '  %-12s %s\n' 'SKIP-TEST' '$$(notdir $$@)' 1>&2)))
 	$$(if $$(TEST_NEEDS_BTFIDS),						\
-		$$(call msg,BTFIDS,$(TRUNNER_BINARY),$$@)			\
+		$(Q)if [ -f $$@ ]; then						\
+		$(if $(filter 1,$(V)),true,printf '  %-8s%s %s\n' "BTFIDS" " [$(TRUNNER_BINARY)]" "$$(notdir $$@)"); \
 		$(RESOLVE_BTFIDS) --btf $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/btf_data.bpf.o $$@;	\
-		$(RESOLVE_BTFIDS) --patch_btfids $$@.BTF_ids $$@)
+		$(RESOLVE_BTFIDS) --patch_btfids $$@.BTF_ids $$@;		\
+		fi)
 
 $(TRUNNER_TEST_OBJS:.o=.d): $(TRUNNER_OUTPUT)/%.test.d:			\
 			    $(TRUNNER_TESTS_DIR)/%.c			\