diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index 9e68fd9fcfca..02888d36b805 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -470,7 +470,8 @@ static int bpf_object__elf_init(struct bpf_object *obj)
 		obj->efile.fd = open(obj->path, O_RDONLY);
 		if (obj->efile.fd < 0) {
 			char errmsg[STRERR_BUFSIZE];
-			char *cp = str_error(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
+			char *cp = libbpf_strerror_r(errno, errmsg,
+						     sizeof(errmsg));
 
 			pr_warning("failed to open %s: %s\n", obj->path, cp);
 			return -errno;
@@ -811,7 +812,8 @@ static int bpf_object__elf_collect(struct bpf_object *obj)
 						      data->d_size, name, idx);
 			if (err) {
 				char errmsg[STRERR_BUFSIZE];
-				char *cp = str_error(-err, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
+				char *cp = libbpf_strerror_r(-err, errmsg,
+							     sizeof(errmsg));
 
 				pr_warning("failed to alloc program %s (%s): %s",
 					   name, obj->path, cp);
@@ -1140,7 +1142,7 @@ bpf_object__create_maps(struct bpf_object *obj)
 
 		*pfd = bpf_create_map_xattr(&create_attr);
 		if (*pfd < 0 && create_attr.btf_key_type_id) {
-			cp = str_error(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
+			cp = libbpf_strerror_r(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
 			pr_warning("Error in bpf_create_map_xattr(%s):%s(%d). Retrying without BTF.\n",
 				   map->name, cp, errno);
 			create_attr.btf_fd = 0;
@@ -1155,7 +1157,7 @@ bpf_object__create_maps(struct bpf_object *obj)
 			size_t j;
 
 			err = *pfd;
-			cp = str_error(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
+			cp = libbpf_strerror_r(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
 			pr_warning("failed to create map (name: '%s'): %s\n",
 				   map->name, cp);
 			for (j = 0; j < i; j++)
@@ -1339,7 +1341,7 @@ load_program(enum bpf_prog_type type, enum bpf_attach_type expected_attach_type,
 	}
 
 	ret = -LIBBPF_ERRNO__LOAD;
-	cp = str_error(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
+	cp = libbpf_strerror_r(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
 	pr_warning("load bpf program failed: %s\n", cp);
 
 	if (log_buf && log_buf[0] != '\0') {
@@ -1655,7 +1657,7 @@ static int check_path(const char *path)
 
 	dir = dirname(dname);
 	if (statfs(dir, &st_fs)) {
-		cp = str_error(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
+		cp = libbpf_strerror_r(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
 		pr_warning("failed to statfs %s: %s\n", dir, cp);
 		err = -errno;
 	}
@@ -1691,7 +1693,7 @@ int bpf_program__pin_instance(struct bpf_program *prog, const char *path,
 	}
 
 	if (bpf_obj_pin(prog->instances.fds[instance], path)) {
-		cp = str_error(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
+		cp = libbpf_strerror_r(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
 		pr_warning("failed to pin program: %s\n", cp);
 		return -errno;
 	}
@@ -1709,7 +1711,7 @@ static int make_dir(const char *path)
 		err = -errno;
 
 	if (err) {
-		cp = str_error(-err, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
+		cp = libbpf_strerror_r(-err, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
 		pr_warning("failed to mkdir %s: %s\n", path, cp);
 	}
 	return err;
@@ -1771,7 +1773,7 @@ int bpf_map__pin(struct bpf_map *map, const char *path)
 	}
 
 	if (bpf_obj_pin(map->fd, path)) {
-		cp = str_error(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
+		cp = libbpf_strerror_r(errno, errmsg, sizeof(errmsg));
 		pr_warning("failed to pin map: %s\n", cp);
 		return -errno;
 	}
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/str_error.c b/tools/lib/bpf/str_error.c
index b8798114a357..3d211b642cb5 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/str_error.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/str_error.c
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  * libc, while checking strerror_r() return to avoid having to check this in
  * all places calling it.
  */
-char *str_error(int err, char *dst, int len)
+char *libbpf_strerror_r(int err, char *dst, int len)
 {
 	int ret = strerror_r(err, dst, len);
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/str_error.h b/tools/lib/bpf/str_error.h
index 355b1db571d1..998eff7d6710 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/str_error.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/str_error.h
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@
 #ifndef BPF_STR_ERROR
 #define BPF_STR_ERROR
 
-char *str_error(int err, char *dst, int len);
+char *libbpf_strerror_r(int err, char *dst, int len);
 #endif // BPF_STR_ERROR