diff --git a/src/common.c b/src/common.c
index 1360c82..cc6e6aa 100644
--- a/src/common.c
+++ b/src/common.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ void p_info(const char *fmt, ...)
 	va_end(ap);
 }
 
-static bool is_bpffs(char *path)
+static bool is_bpffs(const char *path)
 {
 	struct statfs st_fs;
 
@@ -244,13 +244,16 @@ int open_obj_pinned_any(const char *path, enum bpf_obj_type exp_type)
 	return fd;
 }
 
-int mount_bpffs_for_pin(const char *name)
+int mount_bpffs_for_pin(const char *name, bool is_dir)
 {
 	char err_str[ERR_MAX_LEN];
 	char *file;
 	char *dir;
 	int err = 0;
 
+	if (is_dir && is_bpffs(name))
+		return err;
+
 	file = malloc(strlen(name) + 1);
 	if (!file) {
 		p_err("mem alloc failed");
@@ -286,7 +289,7 @@ int do_pin_fd(int fd, const char *name)
 {
 	int err;
 
-	err = mount_bpffs_for_pin(name);
+	err = mount_bpffs_for_pin(name, false);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
diff --git a/src/iter.c b/src/iter.c
index 9a1d236..6b0e520 100644
--- a/src/iter.c
+++ b/src/iter.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static int do_pin(int argc, char **argv)
 		goto close_obj;
 	}
 
-	err = mount_bpffs_for_pin(path);
+	err = mount_bpffs_for_pin(path, false);
 	if (err)
 		goto close_link;
 
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index a49534d..b8bb08d 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ const char *get_fd_type_name(enum bpf_obj_type type);
 char *get_fdinfo(int fd, const char *key);
 int open_obj_pinned(const char *path, bool quiet);
 int open_obj_pinned_any(const char *path, enum bpf_obj_type exp_type);
-int mount_bpffs_for_pin(const char *name);
+int mount_bpffs_for_pin(const char *name, bool is_dir);
 int do_pin_any(int argc, char **argv, int (*get_fd_by_id)(int *, char ***));
 int do_pin_fd(int fd, const char *name);
 
diff --git a/src/prog.c b/src/prog.c
index 91b6075..1f736dc 100644
--- a/src/prog.c
+++ b/src/prog.c
@@ -1739,7 +1739,7 @@ static int load_with_options(int argc, char **argv, bool first_prog_only)
 		goto err_close_obj;
 	}
 
-	err = mount_bpffs_for_pin(pinfile);
+	err = mount_bpffs_for_pin(pinfile, !first_prog_only);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_close_obj;
 
diff --git a/src/struct_ops.c b/src/struct_ops.c
index 57c3da7..3ebc9fe 100644
--- a/src/struct_ops.c
+++ b/src/struct_ops.c
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ static int do_register(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (argc == 1)
 		linkdir = GET_ARG();
 
-	if (linkdir && mount_bpffs_for_pin(linkdir)) {
+	if (linkdir && mount_bpffs_for_pin(linkdir, true)) {
 		p_err("can't mount bpffs for pinning");
 		return -1;
 	}