diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.c
index 1b9341ef638b0..5fa64a7f0dda8 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.c
@@ -2626,15 +2626,11 @@ void btf_ext__free(struct btf_ext *btf_ext)
 	free(btf_ext);
 }
 
-struct btf_ext *btf_ext__new(__u8 *data, __u32 size)
+struct btf_ext *btf_ext__new(const __u8 *data, __u32 size)
 {
 	struct btf_ext *btf_ext;
 	int err;
 
-	err = btf_ext_parse_hdr(data, size);
-	if (err)
-		return libbpf_err_ptr(err);
-
 	btf_ext = calloc(1, sizeof(struct btf_ext));
 	if (!btf_ext)
 		return libbpf_err_ptr(-ENOMEM);
@@ -2647,6 +2643,10 @@ struct btf_ext *btf_ext__new(__u8 *data, __u32 size)
 	}
 	memcpy(btf_ext->data, data, size);
 
+	err = btf_ext_parse_hdr(btf_ext->data, size);
+	if (err)
+		goto done;
+
 	if (btf_ext->hdr->hdr_len < offsetofend(struct btf_ext_header, line_info_len)) {
 		err = -EINVAL;
 		goto done;
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h
index 4a711f990904b..b0ee338a0cc87 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/btf.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ LIBBPF_API int btf__get_map_kv_tids(const struct btf *btf, const char *map_name,
 				    __u32 expected_value_size,
 				    __u32 *key_type_id, __u32 *value_type_id);
 
-LIBBPF_API struct btf_ext *btf_ext__new(__u8 *data, __u32 size);
+LIBBPF_API struct btf_ext *btf_ext__new(const __u8 *data, __u32 size);
 LIBBPF_API void btf_ext__free(struct btf_ext *btf_ext);
 LIBBPF_API const void *btf_ext__get_raw_data(const struct btf_ext *btf_ext,
 					     __u32 *size);