diff --git a/pkg/datapath/fake/types/datapath.go b/pkg/datapath/fake/types/datapath.go
index 9a371bf0e4ce1..21d1a2baac5a2 100644
--- a/pkg/datapath/fake/types/datapath.go
+++ b/pkg/datapath/fake/types/datapath.go
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func (f *FakeLoader) CompileOrLoad(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, st
 	panic("implement me")
 }
 
-func (f *FakeLoader) ReloadDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, stats *metrics.SpanStat) error {
+func (f *FakeLoader) ReloadDatapath(ep datapath.Endpoint, stats *metrics.SpanStat) error {
 	panic("implement me")
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/datapath/loader/base.go b/pkg/datapath/loader/base.go
index af52504e1932f..e592c682fb716 100644
--- a/pkg/datapath/loader/base.go
+++ b/pkg/datapath/loader/base.go
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ func cleanIngressQdisc(devices []string) error {
 }
 
 // reinitializeIPSec is used to recompile and load encryption network programs.
-func (l *loader) reinitializeIPSec(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (l *loader) reinitializeIPSec() error {
 	// We need to take care not to load bpf_network and bpf_host onto the same
 	// device. If devices are required, we load bpf_host and hence don't need
 	// the code below, specific to EncryptInterface. Specifically, we will load
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func (l *loader) reinitializeIPSec(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(ctx, networkObj)
+	coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(networkObj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("loading %s: %w", networkObj, err)
 	}
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ func (l *loader) Reinitialize(ctx context.Context, tunnelConfig tunnel.Config, d
 			log.WithError(err).Fatal("failed to compile encryption programs")
 		}
 
-		if err := l.reinitializeIPSec(ctx); err != nil {
+		if err := l.reinitializeIPSec(); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/datapath/loader/loader.go b/pkg/datapath/loader/loader.go
index 109ac5a887c25..2286dbe34be71 100644
--- a/pkg/datapath/loader/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/datapath/loader/loader.go
@@ -399,20 +399,14 @@ func removeObsoleteNetdevPrograms(devices []string) error {
 // - cilium_host: ingress and egress
 // - cilium_net: ingress
 // - native devices: ingress and (optionally) egress if certain features require it
-func (l *loader) reloadHostDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, objPath string, devices []string) error {
-	// Warning: here be dragons. There used to be a single loop over
-	// interfaces+objs+progs here from the iproute2 days, but this was never
-	// correct to begin with. Tail call maps were always reused when possible,
-	// causing control flow to transition through invalid states as new tail calls
-	// were sequentially upserted into the array.
-
+func (l *loader) reloadHostDatapath(ep datapath.Endpoint, objPath string, devices []string) error {
 	// Replace programs on cilium_host.
 	host, err := netlink.LinkByName(ep.InterfaceName())
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("retrieving device %s: %w", ep.InterfaceName(), err)
 	}
 
-	coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(ctx, objPath)
+	coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(objPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -442,7 +436,7 @@ func (l *loader) reloadHostDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, o
 		return err
 	}
 
-	coll, finalize, err = loadDatapath(ctx, secondDevObjPath)
+	coll, finalize, err = loadDatapath(secondDevObjPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -472,7 +466,7 @@ func (l *loader) reloadHostDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, o
 		}
 
 		// Load bpf_netdev_<dev>.o.
-		coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(ctx, netdevObjPath)
+		coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(netdevObjPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -520,7 +514,7 @@ func (l *loader) reloadHostDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, o
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (l *loader) reloadDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, dirs *directoryInfo) error {
+func (l *loader) reloadDatapath(ep datapath.Endpoint, dirs *directoryInfo) error {
 	// Replace the current program
 	objPath := path.Join(dirs.Output, endpointObj)
 	device := ep.InterfaceName()
@@ -535,11 +529,11 @@ func (l *loader) reloadDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, dirs
 		}
 
 		objPath = path.Join(dirs.Output, hostEndpointObj)
-		if err := l.reloadHostDatapath(ctx, ep, objPath, devices); err != nil {
+		if err := l.reloadHostDatapath(ep, objPath, devices); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	} else {
-		coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(ctx, objPath)
+		coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(objPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -594,12 +588,16 @@ func (l *loader) replaceOverlayDatapath(ctx context.Context, cArgs []string, ifa
 		return fmt.Errorf("compiling overlay program: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	device, err := netlink.LinkByName(iface)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("retrieving device %s: %w", iface, err)
 	}
 
-	coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(ctx, overlayObj)
+	coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(overlayObj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -693,11 +691,11 @@ func (l *loader) compileOrLoad(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, dirs *
 	}
 	stats.BpfWriteELF.End(err == nil)
 
-	return l.ReloadDatapath(ctx, ep, stats)
+	return l.ReloadDatapath(ep, stats)
 }
 
 // ReloadDatapath reloads the BPF datapath programs for the specified endpoint.
-func (l *loader) ReloadDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, stats *metrics.SpanStat) (err error) {
+func (l *loader) ReloadDatapath(ep datapath.Endpoint, stats *metrics.SpanStat) (err error) {
 	dirs := directoryInfo{
 		Library: option.Config.BpfDir,
 		Runtime: option.Config.StateDir,
@@ -705,7 +703,7 @@ func (l *loader) ReloadDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep datapath.Endpoint, stats
 		Output:  ep.StateDir(),
 	}
 	stats.BpfLoadProg.Start()
-	err = l.reloadDatapath(ctx, ep, &dirs)
+	err = l.reloadDatapath(ep, &dirs)
 	stats.BpfLoadProg.End(err == nil)
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/pkg/datapath/loader/loader_test.go b/pkg/datapath/loader/loader_test.go
index 8ce676cde5acf..927bebd43382f 100644
--- a/pkg/datapath/loader/loader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/datapath/loader/loader_test.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func TestReload(t *testing.T) {
 	linkDir := testutils.TempBPFFS(t)
 
 	for range 2 {
-		coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(ctx, objPath)
+		coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(objPath)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		require.NoError(t, attachSKBProgram(l, coll.Programs[symbolFromEndpoint],
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ func BenchmarkReplaceDatapath(b *testing.B) {
 	objPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", dirInfo.Output, endpointObj)
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
-		coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(ctx, objPath)
+		coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(objPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			b.Fatal(err)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/datapath/loader/netlink.go b/pkg/datapath/loader/netlink.go
index 41c193e5c3357..7f7a68a116122 100644
--- a/pkg/datapath/loader/netlink.go
+++ b/pkg/datapath/loader/netlink.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 package loader
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
@@ -50,12 +49,7 @@ func directionToParent(dir string) uint32 {
 // For example, this is the case with from-netdev and to-netdev. If eth0:to-netdev
 // gets its program and maps replaced and unpinned, its eth0:from-netdev counterpart
 // will miss tail calls (and drop packets) until it has been replaced as well.
-func loadDatapath(ctx context.Context, obj string) (*ebpf.Collection, func(), error) {
-	// Avoid unnecessarily loading a prog.
-	if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	}
-
+func loadDatapath(obj string) (*ebpf.Collection, func(), error) {
 	l := log.WithField("objPath", obj)
 
 	// Load the ELF from disk.
diff --git a/pkg/datapath/loader/types/types.go b/pkg/datapath/loader/types/types.go
index 324e250c947ab..9f5c5ec6c5c2e 100644
--- a/pkg/datapath/loader/types/types.go
+++ b/pkg/datapath/loader/types/types.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ type Loader interface {
 	HostDatapathInitialized() <-chan struct{}
 	Reinitialize(ctx context.Context, tunnelConfig tunnel.Config, deviceMTU int, iptMgr types.IptablesManager, p types.Proxy) error
 	ReinitializeXDP(ctx context.Context, extraCArgs []string) error
-	ReloadDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep types.Endpoint, stats *metrics.SpanStat) (err error)
+	ReloadDatapath(ep types.Endpoint, stats *metrics.SpanStat) (err error)
 	RestoreTemplates(stateDir string) error
 	Unload(ep types.Endpoint)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/datapath/loader/xdp.go b/pkg/datapath/loader/xdp.go
index 75471e6a88b96..27e2d39aa84f7 100644
--- a/pkg/datapath/loader/xdp.go
+++ b/pkg/datapath/loader/xdp.go
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ func compileAndLoadXDPProg(ctx context.Context, xdpDev, xdpMode string, extraCAr
 		return fmt.Errorf("retrieving device %s: %w", xdpDev, err)
 	}
 
-	coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(ctx, objPath)
+	coll, finalize, err := loadDatapath(objPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/datapath/types/loader.go b/pkg/datapath/types/loader.go
index 9ed11396400aa..a0178a0a47089 100644
--- a/pkg/datapath/types/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/datapath/types/loader.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ type Loader interface {
 	CallsMapPath(id uint16) string
 	CustomCallsMapPath(id uint16) string
 	CompileOrLoad(ctx context.Context, ep Endpoint, stats *metrics.SpanStat) error
-	ReloadDatapath(ctx context.Context, ep Endpoint, stats *metrics.SpanStat) error
+	ReloadDatapath(ep Endpoint, stats *metrics.SpanStat) error
 	ReinitializeXDP(ctx context.Context, extraCArgs []string) error
 	EndpointHash(cfg EndpointConfiguration) (string, error)
 	Unload(ep Endpoint)
diff --git a/pkg/endpoint/bpf.go b/pkg/endpoint/bpf.go
index a4890707da960..6b84c262f3b8d 100644
--- a/pkg/endpoint/bpf.go
+++ b/pkg/endpoint/bpf.go
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ func (e *Endpoint) realizeBPFState(regenContext *regenerationContext) (compilati
 			}
 			compilationExecuted = true
 		} else { // RegenerateWithDatapathLoad
-			err = e.owner.Datapath().Loader().ReloadDatapath(datapathRegenCtxt.completionCtx, datapathRegenCtxt.epInfoCache, &stats.datapathRealization)
+			err = e.owner.Datapath().Loader().ReloadDatapath(datapathRegenCtxt.epInfoCache, &stats.datapathRealization)
 			if err == nil {
 				e.getLogger().Info("Reloaded endpoint BPF program")
 			} else {