diff --git a/tools/objtool/Makefile b/tools/objtool/Makefile
index 6765c7e949f3..f094f3c4ed84 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/Makefile
+++ b/tools/objtool/Makefile
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ INCLUDES := -I$(srctree)/tools/include
 CFLAGS   += -Wall -Werror $(EXTRA_WARNINGS) -fomit-frame-pointer -O2 -g $(INCLUDES)
 LDFLAGS  += -lelf $(LIBSUBCMD)
 
+# Allow old libelf to be used:
+elfshdr := $(shell echo '\#include <libelf.h>' | $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -x c -E - | grep elf_getshdr)
+CFLAGS += $(if $(elfshdr),,-DLIBELF_USE_DEPRECATED)
+
 AWK = awk
 export srctree OUTPUT CFLAGS ARCH AWK
 include $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tools/objtool/elf.h b/tools/objtool/elf.h
index 7f3e00a2f907..aa1ff6596684 100644
--- a/tools/objtool/elf.h
+++ b/tools/objtool/elf.h
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/hashtable.h>
 
+#ifdef LIBELF_USE_DEPRECATED
+# define elf_getshdrnum    elf_getshnum
+# define elf_getshdrstrndx elf_getshstrndx
+#endif
+
 struct section {
 	struct list_head list;
 	GElf_Shdr sh;