diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index fd4f1875df65335d56070200c33fb6fec0565721..78635feb1946634d0d945c19c5329d0ce27b2129 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -8562,13 +8562,31 @@ enum bpf_prog_type bpf_program__type(const struct bpf_program *prog)
 	return prog->type;
 }
 
+static size_t custom_sec_def_cnt;
+static struct bpf_sec_def *custom_sec_defs;
+static struct bpf_sec_def custom_fallback_def;
+static bool has_custom_fallback_def;
+static int last_custom_sec_def_handler_id;
+
 int bpf_program__set_type(struct bpf_program *prog, enum bpf_prog_type type)
 {
 	if (prog->obj->loaded)
 		return libbpf_err(-EBUSY);
 
+	/* if type is not changed, do nothing */
+	if (prog->type == type)
+		return 0;
+
 	prog->type = type;
-	prog->sec_def = NULL;
+
+	/* If a program type was changed, we need to reset associated SEC()
+	 * handler, as it will be invalid now. The only exception is a generic
+	 * fallback handler, which by definition is program type-agnostic and
+	 * is a catch-all custom handler, optionally set by the application,
+	 * so should be able to handle any type of BPF program.
+	 */
+	if (prog->sec_def != &custom_fallback_def)
+		prog->sec_def = NULL;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -8744,13 +8762,6 @@ static const struct bpf_sec_def section_defs[] = {
 	SEC_DEF("netfilter",		NETFILTER, BPF_NETFILTER, SEC_NONE),
 };
 
-static size_t custom_sec_def_cnt;
-static struct bpf_sec_def *custom_sec_defs;
-static struct bpf_sec_def custom_fallback_def;
-static bool has_custom_fallback_def;
-
-static int last_custom_sec_def_handler_id;
-
 int libbpf_register_prog_handler(const char *sec,
 				 enum bpf_prog_type prog_type,
 				 enum bpf_attach_type exp_attach_type,