diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/Build b/tools/lib/bpf/Build
index d8749756352d..64c679d67109 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/Build
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/Build
@@ -1 +1 @@
-libbpf-y := libbpf.o bpf.o
+libbpf-y := libbpf.o bpf.o nlattr.o
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/bpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/bpf.c
index 1e3cfe6b9fce..cdfabbe118cc 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/bpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/bpf.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <linux/bpf.h>
 #include "bpf.h"
 #include "libbpf.h"
+#include "nlattr.h"
 #include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -436,6 +437,7 @@ int bpf_set_link_xdp_fd(int ifindex, int fd, __u32 flags)
 	struct nlmsghdr *nh;
 	struct nlmsgerr *err;
 	socklen_t addrlen;
+	int one;
 
 	memset(&sa, 0, sizeof(sa));
 	sa.nl_family = AF_NETLINK;
@@ -445,6 +447,12 @@ int bpf_set_link_xdp_fd(int ifindex, int fd, __u32 flags)
 		return -errno;
 	}
 
+	if (setsockopt(sock, SOL_NETLINK, NETLINK_EXT_ACK,
+		       &one, sizeof(one)) < 0) {
+		/* debug/verbose message that it is not supported */
+		fprintf(stderr, "Netlink error reporting not supported\n");
+	}
+
 	if (bind(sock, (struct sockaddr *)&sa, sizeof(sa)) < 0) {
 		ret = -errno;
 		goto cleanup;
@@ -521,6 +529,7 @@ int bpf_set_link_xdp_fd(int ifindex, int fd, __u32 flags)
 			if (!err->error)
 				continue;
 			ret = err->error;
+			nla_dump_errormsg(nh);
 			goto cleanup;
 		case NLMSG_DONE:
 			break;
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/nlattr.c b/tools/lib/bpf/nlattr.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5cc74fa98049
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/nlattr.c
@@ -0,0 +1,187 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1 */
+
+/*
+ * NETLINK      Netlink attributes
+ *
+ *	This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ *	modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ *	License as published by the Free Software Foundation version 2.1
+ *	of the License.
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2003-2013 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
+ */
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include "nlattr.h"
+#include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+static uint16_t nla_attr_minlen[NLA_TYPE_MAX+1] = {
+	[NLA_U8]	= sizeof(uint8_t),
+	[NLA_U16]	= sizeof(uint16_t),
+	[NLA_U32]	= sizeof(uint32_t),
+	[NLA_U64]	= sizeof(uint64_t),
+	[NLA_STRING]	= 1,
+	[NLA_FLAG]	= 0,
+};
+
+static int nla_len(const struct nlattr *nla)
+{
+	return nla->nla_len - NLA_HDRLEN;
+}
+
+static struct nlattr *nla_next(const struct nlattr *nla, int *remaining)
+{
+	int totlen = NLA_ALIGN(nla->nla_len);
+
+	*remaining -= totlen;
+	return (struct nlattr *) ((char *) nla + totlen);
+}
+
+static int nla_ok(const struct nlattr *nla, int remaining)
+{
+	return remaining >= sizeof(*nla) &&
+	       nla->nla_len >= sizeof(*nla) &&
+	       nla->nla_len <= remaining;
+}
+
+static void *nla_data(const struct nlattr *nla)
+{
+	return (char *) nla + NLA_HDRLEN;
+}
+
+static int nla_type(const struct nlattr *nla)
+{
+	return nla->nla_type & NLA_TYPE_MASK;
+}
+
+static int validate_nla(struct nlattr *nla, int maxtype,
+			struct nla_policy *policy)
+{
+	struct nla_policy *pt;
+	unsigned int minlen = 0;
+	int type = nla_type(nla);
+
+	if (type < 0 || type > maxtype)
+		return 0;
+
+	pt = &policy[type];
+
+	if (pt->type > NLA_TYPE_MAX)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (pt->minlen)
+		minlen = pt->minlen;
+	else if (pt->type != NLA_UNSPEC)
+		minlen = nla_attr_minlen[pt->type];
+
+	if (nla_len(nla) < minlen)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (pt->maxlen && nla_len(nla) > pt->maxlen)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (pt->type == NLA_STRING) {
+		char *data = nla_data(nla);
+		if (data[nla_len(nla) - 1] != '\0')
+			return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static inline int nlmsg_len(const struct nlmsghdr *nlh)
+{
+	return nlh->nlmsg_len - NLMSG_HDRLEN;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create attribute index based on a stream of attributes.
+ * @arg tb		Index array to be filled (maxtype+1 elements).
+ * @arg maxtype		Maximum attribute type expected and accepted.
+ * @arg head		Head of attribute stream.
+ * @arg len		Length of attribute stream.
+ * @arg policy		Attribute validation policy.
+ *
+ * Iterates over the stream of attributes and stores a pointer to each
+ * attribute in the index array using the attribute type as index to
+ * the array. Attribute with a type greater than the maximum type
+ * specified will be silently ignored in order to maintain backwards
+ * compatibility. If \a policy is not NULL, the attribute will be
+ * validated using the specified policy.
+ *
+ * @see nla_validate
+ * @return 0 on success or a negative error code.
+ */
+static int nla_parse(struct nlattr *tb[], int maxtype, struct nlattr *head, int len,
+		     struct nla_policy *policy)
+{
+	struct nlattr *nla;
+	int rem, err;
+
+	memset(tb, 0, sizeof(struct nlattr *) * (maxtype + 1));
+
+	nla_for_each_attr(nla, head, len, rem) {
+		int type = nla_type(nla);
+
+		if (type > maxtype)
+			continue;
+
+		if (policy) {
+			err = validate_nla(nla, maxtype, policy);
+			if (err < 0)
+				goto errout;
+		}
+
+		if (tb[type])
+			fprintf(stderr, "Attribute of type %#x found multiple times in message, "
+				  "previous attribute is being ignored.\n", type);
+
+		tb[type] = nla;
+	}
+
+	err = 0;
+errout:
+	return err;
+}
+
+/* dump netlink extended ack error message */
+int nla_dump_errormsg(struct nlmsghdr *nlh)
+{
+	struct nla_policy extack_policy[NLMSGERR_ATTR_MAX + 1] = {
+		[NLMSGERR_ATTR_MSG]	= { .type = NLA_STRING },
+		[NLMSGERR_ATTR_OFFS]	= { .type = NLA_U32 },
+	};
+	struct nlattr *tb[NLMSGERR_ATTR_MAX + 1], *attr;
+	struct nlmsgerr *err;
+	char *errmsg = NULL;
+	int hlen, alen;
+
+	/* no TLVs, nothing to do here */
+	if (!(nlh->nlmsg_flags & NLM_F_ACK_TLVS))
+		return 0;
+
+	err = (struct nlmsgerr *)NLMSG_DATA(nlh);
+	hlen = sizeof(*err);
+
+	/* if NLM_F_CAPPED is set then the inner err msg was capped */
+	if (!(nlh->nlmsg_flags & NLM_F_CAPPED))
+		hlen += nlmsg_len(&err->msg);
+
+	attr = (struct nlattr *) ((void *) err + hlen);
+	alen = nlh->nlmsg_len - hlen;
+
+	if (nla_parse(tb, NLMSGERR_ATTR_MAX, attr, alen, extack_policy) != 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr,
+			"Failed to parse extended error attributes\n");
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (tb[NLMSGERR_ATTR_MSG])
+		errmsg = (char *) nla_data(tb[NLMSGERR_ATTR_MSG]);
+
+	fprintf(stderr, "Kernel error message: %s\n", errmsg);
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/nlattr.h b/tools/lib/bpf/nlattr.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fa2d015334ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/nlattr.h
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1 */
+
+/*
+ * NETLINK      Netlink attributes
+ *
+ *	This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ *	modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ *	License as published by the Free Software Foundation version 2.1
+ *	of the License.
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2003-2013 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
+ */
+
+#ifndef __NLATTR_H
+#define __NLATTR_H
+
+#include <linux/netlink.h>
+
+/**
+ * Standard attribute types to specify validation policy
+ */
+enum {
+	NLA_UNSPEC,	/**< Unspecified type, binary data chunk */
+	NLA_U8,		/**< 8 bit integer */
+	NLA_U16,	/**< 16 bit integer */
+	NLA_U32,	/**< 32 bit integer */
+	NLA_U64,	/**< 64 bit integer */
+	NLA_STRING,	/**< NUL terminated character string */
+	NLA_FLAG,	/**< Flag */
+	NLA_MSECS,	/**< Micro seconds (64bit) */
+	NLA_NESTED,	/**< Nested attributes */
+	__NLA_TYPE_MAX,
+};
+
+#define NLA_TYPE_MAX (__NLA_TYPE_MAX - 1)
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup attr
+ * Attribute validation policy.
+ *
+ * See section @core_doc{core_attr_parse,Attribute Parsing} for more details.
+ */
+struct nla_policy {
+	/** Type of attribute or NLA_UNSPEC */
+	uint16_t	type;
+
+	/** Minimal length of payload required */
+	uint16_t	minlen;
+
+	/** Maximal length of payload allowed */
+	uint16_t	maxlen;
+};
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup attr
+ * Iterate over a stream of attributes
+ * @arg pos	loop counter, set to current attribute
+ * @arg head	head of attribute stream
+ * @arg len	length of attribute stream
+ * @arg rem	initialized to len, holds bytes currently remaining in stream
+ */
+#define nla_for_each_attr(pos, head, len, rem) \
+	for (pos = head, rem = len; \
+	     nla_ok(pos, rem); \
+	     pos = nla_next(pos, &(rem)))
+
+int nla_dump_errormsg(struct nlmsghdr *nlh);
+
+#endif /* __NLATTR_H */
