diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index 4d4badb64824..6fba879492a8 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -757,6 +757,7 @@ struct bpf_object {
 	int arena_map_idx;
 	void *arena_data;
 	size_t arena_data_sz;
+	size_t arena_data_off;
 
 	void *jumptables_data;
 	size_t jumptables_data_sz;
@@ -2991,10 +2992,11 @@ static int init_arena_map_data(struct bpf_object *obj, struct bpf_map *map,
 			       void *data, size_t data_sz)
 {
 	const long page_sz = sysconf(_SC_PAGE_SIZE);
+	const size_t data_alloc_sz = roundup(data_sz, page_sz);
 	size_t mmap_sz;
 
 	mmap_sz = bpf_map_mmap_sz(map);
-	if (roundup(data_sz, page_sz) > mmap_sz) {
+	if (data_alloc_sz > mmap_sz) {
 		pr_warn("elf: sec '%s': declared ARENA map size (%zu) is too small to hold global __arena variables of size %zu\n",
 			sec_name, mmap_sz, data_sz);
 		return -E2BIG;
@@ -3006,6 +3008,9 @@ static int init_arena_map_data(struct bpf_object *obj, struct bpf_map *map,
 	memcpy(obj->arena_data, data, data_sz);
 	obj->arena_data_sz = data_sz;
 
+	/* place globals at the end of the arena */
+	obj->arena_data_off = mmap_sz - data_alloc_sz;
+
 	/* make bpf_map__init_value() work for ARENA maps */
 	map->mmaped = obj->arena_data;
 
@@ -4663,7 +4668,7 @@ static int bpf_program__record_reloc(struct bpf_program *prog,
 		reloc_desc->type = RELO_DATA;
 		reloc_desc->insn_idx = insn_idx;
 		reloc_desc->map_idx = obj->arena_map_idx;
-		reloc_desc->sym_off = sym->st_value;
+		reloc_desc->sym_off = sym->st_value + obj->arena_data_off;
 
 		map = &obj->maps[obj->arena_map_idx];
 		pr_debug("prog '%s': found arena map %d (%s, sec %d, off %zu) for insn %u\n",
@@ -5624,7 +5629,8 @@ bpf_object__create_maps(struct bpf_object *obj)
 					return err;
 				}
 				if (obj->arena_data) {
-					memcpy(map->mmaped, obj->arena_data, obj->arena_data_sz);
+					memcpy(map->mmaped + obj->arena_data_off, obj->arena_data,
+						obj->arena_data_sz);
 					zfree(&obj->arena_data);
 				}
 			}
@@ -14429,7 +14435,10 @@ int bpf_object__load_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s)
 		if (!map_skel->mmaped)
 			continue;
 
-		*map_skel->mmaped = map->mmaped;
+		if (map->def.type == BPF_MAP_TYPE_ARENA)
+			*map_skel->mmaped = map->mmaped + map->obj->arena_data_off;
+		else
+			*map_skel->mmaped = map->mmaped;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_arena_large.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_arena_large.c
index bd430a34c3ab..2b8cf2a4d880 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_arena_large.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/verifier_arena_large.c
@@ -31,16 +31,22 @@ int big_alloc1(void *ctx)
 	if (!page1)
 		return 1;
 
-	/* Account for global arena data. */
-	if ((u64)page1 != base + PAGE_SIZE)
+	if ((u64)page1 != base)
 		return 15;
 
 	*page1 = 1;
-	page2 = bpf_arena_alloc_pages(&arena, (void __arena *)(ARENA_SIZE - PAGE_SIZE),
+	page2 = bpf_arena_alloc_pages(&arena, (void __arena *)(ARENA_SIZE - 2 * PAGE_SIZE),
 				      1, NUMA_NO_NODE, 0);
 	if (!page2)
 		return 2;
 	*page2 = 2;
+
+	/* Test for the guard region at the end of the arena. */
+	no_page = bpf_arena_alloc_pages(&arena, (void __arena *)ARENA_SIZE - PAGE_SIZE,
+					1, NUMA_NO_NODE, 0);
+	if (no_page)
+		return 16;
+
 	no_page = bpf_arena_alloc_pages(&arena, (void __arena *)ARENA_SIZE,
 					1, NUMA_NO_NODE, 0);
 	if (no_page)