diff --git a/kernel/bpf/btf.c b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
index d67a169ba2bb..d870bc5e50bc 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/btf.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
@@ -4268,13 +4268,10 @@ int btf_check_and_fixup_fields(const struct btf *btf, struct btf_record *rec)
 {
 	int i;
 
-	/* There are three types that signify ownership of some other type:
-	 *  kptr_ref, bpf_list_head, bpf_rb_root.
-	 * kptr_ref only supports storing kernel types, which can't store
-	 * references to program allocated local types.
-	 *
-	 * Hence we only need to ensure that bpf_{list_head,rb_root} ownership
-	 * does not form cycles.
+	/*
+	 * Check fields which require the complete BTF and initialize runtime
+	 * metadata. Ownership relationships are validated after every record has
+	 * been fixed up.
 	 */
 	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(rec) || !(rec->field_mask & (BPF_GRAPH_ROOT | BPF_UPTR)))
 		return 0;
@@ -4305,53 +4302,90 @@ int btf_check_and_fixup_fields(const struct btf *btf, struct btf_record *rec)
 		if (!meta)
 			return -EFAULT;
 		rec->fields[i].graph_root.value_rec = meta->record;
-
-		/* We need to set value_rec for all root types, but no need
-		 * to check ownership cycle for a type unless it's also a
-		 * node type.
-		 */
-		if (!(rec->field_mask & BPF_GRAPH_NODE))
-			continue;
-
-		/* We need to ensure ownership acyclicity among all types. The
-		 * proper way to do it would be to topologically sort all BTF
-		 * IDs based on the ownership edges, since there can be multiple
-		 * bpf_{list_head,rb_node} in a type. Instead, we use the
-		 * following resaoning:
-		 *
-		 * - A type can only be owned by another type in user BTF if it
-		 *   has a bpf_{list,rb}_node. Let's call these node types.
-		 * - A type can only _own_ another type in user BTF if it has a
-		 *   bpf_{list_head,rb_root}. Let's call these root types.
-		 *
-		 * We ensure that if a type is both a root and node, its
-		 * element types cannot be root types.
-		 *
-		 * To ensure acyclicity:
-		 *
-		 * When A is an root type but not a node, its ownership
-		 * chain can be:
-		 *	A -> B -> C
-		 * Where:
-		 * - A is an root, e.g. has bpf_rb_root.
-		 * - B is both a root and node, e.g. has bpf_rb_node and
-		 *   bpf_list_head.
-		 * - C is only an root, e.g. has bpf_list_node
-		 *
-		 * When A is both a root and node, some other type already
-		 * owns it in the BTF domain, hence it can not own
-		 * another root type through any of the ownership edges.
-		 *	A -> B
-		 * Where:
-		 * - A is both an root and node.
-		 * - B is only an node.
-		 */
-		if (meta->record->field_mask & BPF_GRAPH_ROOT)
-			return -ELOOP;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int btf_owned_type_idx(const struct btf *btf, struct btf_struct_metas *tab,
+			      const struct btf_field *field)
+{
+	struct btf_struct_meta *meta;
+	u32 btf_id;
+
+	if (field->type & BPF_GRAPH_ROOT) {
+		btf_id = field->graph_root.value_btf_id;
+	} else if (field->type == BPF_KPTR_REF || field->type == BPF_KPTR_PERCPU) {
+		if (btf_is_kernel(field->kptr.btf))
+			return -ENOENT;
+		btf_id = field->kptr.btf_id;
+	} else {
+		return -ENOENT;
+	}
+
+	meta = btf_find_struct_meta(btf, btf_id);
+	if (!meta)
+		return field->type & BPF_GRAPH_ROOT ? -EFAULT : -ENOENT;
+	return meta - tab->types;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Each ownership edge adds kernel frames through bpf_obj_free_fields() and
+ * __bpf_obj_drop_impl(). Keep the bound deliberately small because object
+ * destruction can itself run below a BPF call chain. A final pointee without
+ * special fields is not present in the struct metadata table and adds only a
+ * non-recursing drop.
+ */
+#define BTF_MAX_OWNERSHIP_DEPTH 8
+
+static int btf_ownership_depth(const struct btf *btf,
+			       struct btf_struct_metas *tab, u8 *depth,
+			       int idx, int depth_left)
+{
+	const struct btf_record *rec = tab->types[idx].record;
+	int i, ret, max_depth = 0;
+
+	if (!depth_left)
+		return -ELOOP;
+	if (depth[idx])
+		goto done;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < rec->cnt; i++) {
+		ret = btf_owned_type_idx(btf, tab, &rec->fields[i]);
+		if (ret == -ENOENT)
+			continue;
+		if (ret < 0)
+			return ret;
+		ret = btf_ownership_depth(btf, tab, depth, ret, depth_left - 1);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			return ret;
+		max_depth = max(max_depth, ret);
+	}
+	depth[idx] = max_depth + 1;
+done:
+	return depth[idx] > depth_left ? -ELOOP : depth[idx];
+}
+
+static int btf_check_ownership_depth(const struct btf *btf,
+				     struct btf_struct_metas *tab)
+{
+	u8 *depth;
+	int i, ret = 0;
+
+	depth = kvcalloc(tab->cnt, sizeof(*depth), GFP_KERNEL | __GFP_NOWARN);
+	if (!depth)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < tab->cnt; i++) {
+		ret = btf_ownership_depth(btf, tab, depth, i,
+					  BTF_MAX_OWNERSHIP_DEPTH);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			break;
+		ret = 0;
+	}
+	kvfree(depth);
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static void __btf_struct_show(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type *t,
 			      u32 type_id, void *data, u8 bits_offset,
 			      struct btf_show *show)
@@ -6044,6 +6078,10 @@ static struct btf *btf_parse(const union bpf_attr *attr, bpfptr_t uattr,
 			if (err < 0)
 				goto errout_meta;
 		}
+
+		err = btf_check_ownership_depth(btf, struct_meta_tab);
+		if (err < 0)
+			goto errout_meta;
 	}
 
 	err = bpf_log_attr_finalize(attr_log, &env->log);
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/linked_list.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/linked_list.c
index c3d133c6a00d..52fabbee3dd5 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/linked_list.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/linked_list.c
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ static void test_btf(void)
 			break;
 
 		err = btf__load_into_kernel(btf);
-		ASSERT_EQ(err, -ELOOP, "check btf");
+		ASSERT_EQ(err, 0, "check btf");
 		btf__free(btf);
 		break;
 	}
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ static void test_btf(void)
 			break;
 
 		err = btf__load_into_kernel(btf);
-		ASSERT_EQ(err, -ELOOP, "check btf");
+		ASSERT_EQ(err, 0, "check btf");
 		btf__free(btf);
 		break;
 	}