diff --git a/bpf_progs/block.c b/bpf_progs/block.c
index e467203..353525e 100644
--- a/bpf_progs/block.c
+++ b/bpf_progs/block.c
@@ -76,3 +76,4 @@
 LICENSE("Apache 2.0");
 CRITICAL("ConnectivityNative");
 DISABLE_BTF_ON_USER_BUILDS();
+DISABLE_ON_MAINLINE_BEFORE_U_QPR3();
diff --git a/bpf_progs/clatd.c b/bpf_progs/clatd.c
index 9e0d4c4..95e9a4c 100644
--- a/bpf_progs/clatd.c
+++ b/bpf_progs/clatd.c
@@ -431,3 +431,4 @@
 LICENSE("Apache 2.0");
 CRITICAL("Connectivity");
 DISABLE_BTF_ON_USER_BUILDS();
+DISABLE_ON_MAINLINE_BEFORE_U_QPR3();
diff --git a/bpf_progs/dscpPolicy.c b/bpf_progs/dscpPolicy.c
index 1739c37..8bb8ad5 100644
--- a/bpf_progs/dscpPolicy.c
+++ b/bpf_progs/dscpPolicy.c
@@ -239,3 +239,4 @@
 LICENSE("Apache 2.0");
 CRITICAL("Connectivity");
 DISABLE_BTF_ON_USER_BUILDS();
+DISABLE_ON_MAINLINE_BEFORE_U_QPR3();
diff --git a/bpf_progs/netd.c b/bpf_progs/netd.c
index a6d702b..bd7b8b4 100644
--- a/bpf_progs/netd.c
+++ b/bpf_progs/netd.c
@@ -679,3 +679,4 @@
 LICENSE("Apache 2.0");
 CRITICAL("Connectivity and netd");
 DISABLE_BTF_ON_USER_BUILDS();
+DISABLE_ON_MAINLINE_BEFORE_U_QPR3();
diff --git a/bpf_progs/offload.c b/bpf_progs/offload.c
index 8c3011b..c7ac059 100644
--- a/bpf_progs/offload.c
+++ b/bpf_progs/offload.c
@@ -878,3 +878,4 @@
 LICENSE("Apache 2.0");
 CRITICAL("Connectivity (Tethering)");
 DISABLE_BTF_ON_USER_BUILDS();
+DISABLE_ON_MAINLINE_BEFORE_U_QPR3();
diff --git a/bpf_progs/test.c b/bpf_progs/test.c
index 2b4a08f..fff3512 100644
--- a/bpf_progs/test.c
+++ b/bpf_progs/test.c
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@
 // BTF is incompatible with bpfloaders < v0.10, hence for S (v0.2) we must
 // ship a different file than for later versions, but we need bpfloader v0.25+
 // for obj@ver.o support
-#define BPFLOADER_MIN_VER BPFLOADER_OBJ_AT_VER_VERSION
+#define BPFLOADER_MIN_VER BPFLOADER_MAINLINE_T_VERSION
 #else /* MAINLINE */
-// The resulting .o needs to load on the Android S & T bpfloaders
+// The resulting .o needs to load on the Android S bpfloader
 #define BPFLOADER_MIN_VER BPFLOADER_S_VERSION
-#define BPFLOADER_MAX_VER BPFLOADER_OBJ_AT_VER_VERSION
+#define BPFLOADER_MAX_VER BPFLOADER_T_VERSION
 #endif /* MAINLINE */
 
 // Warning: values other than AID_ROOT don't work for map uid on BpfLoader < v0.21
diff --git a/netbpfload/loader.cpp b/netbpfload/loader.cpp
index 289b4d7..72ff172 100644
--- a/netbpfload/loader.cpp
+++ b/netbpfload/loader.cpp
@@ -1122,11 +1122,20 @@
             readSectionUint("bpfloader_max_ver", elfFile, DEFAULT_BPFLOADER_MAX_VER);
     unsigned int bpfLoaderMinRequiredVer =
             readSectionUint("bpfloader_min_required_ver", elfFile, 0);
+    unsigned int netBpfLoadMinVer =
+            readSectionUint("netbpfload_min_ver", elfFile, 0);
     size_t sizeOfBpfMapDef =
             readSectionUint("size_of_bpf_map_def", elfFile, DEFAULT_SIZEOF_BPF_MAP_DEF);
     size_t sizeOfBpfProgDef =
             readSectionUint("size_of_bpf_prog_def", elfFile, DEFAULT_SIZEOF_BPF_PROG_DEF);
 
+    // temporary hack to enable gentle enablement of mainline NetBpfLoad
+    if (bpfloader_ver < netBpfLoadMinVer) {
+        ALOGI("NetBpfLoad version %d ignoring ELF object %s with netbpfload min ver %d",
+              bpfloader_ver, elfPath, netBpfLoadMinVer);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     // inclusive lower bound check
     if (bpfloader_ver < bpfLoaderMinVer) {
         ALOGI("BpfLoader version 0x%05x ignoring ELF object %s with min ver 0x%05x",
diff --git a/netbpfload/netbpfload.33rc b/netbpfload/netbpfload.33rc
index ca2b288..d269ce9 100644
--- a/netbpfload/netbpfload.33rc
+++ b/netbpfload/netbpfload.33rc
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@
     file /dev/kmsg w
     rlimit memlock 1073741824 1073741824
     oneshot
-    reboot_on_failure reboot,bpfloader-failed
+    # TODO: reboot_on_failure reboot,netbpfload-failed
     override
diff --git a/netd/BpfHandler.cpp b/netd/BpfHandler.cpp
index f08ac44..06873fa 100644
--- a/netd/BpfHandler.cpp
+++ b/netd/BpfHandler.cpp
@@ -170,19 +170,25 @@
         android::bpf::waitForProgsLoaded();
     }
 
-    if (false && !mainlineNetBpfLoadDone()) {
+    if (!mainlineNetBpfLoadDone()) {
+        const bool enforce_mainline = false; // TODO: flip to true
+
         // We're on < U QPR3 & it's the first time netd is starting up (unless crashlooping)
         //
         // On U QPR3+ netbpfload is guaranteed to run before the platform bpfloader,
         // so waitForProgsLoaded() implies mainlineNetBpfLoadDone().
         if (!base::SetProperty("ctl.start", "mdnsd_netbpfload")) {
             ALOGE("Failed to set property ctl.start=mdnsd_netbpfload, see dmesg for reason.");
-            abort();
+            if (enforce_mainline) abort();
         }
 
-        ALOGI("Waiting for Networking BPF programs");
-        waitForNetProgsLoaded();
-        ALOGI("Networking BPF programs are loaded");
+        if (enforce_mainline) {
+            ALOGI("Waiting for Networking BPF programs");
+            waitForNetProgsLoaded();
+            ALOGI("Networking BPF programs are loaded");
+        } else {
+            ALOGI("Started mdnsd_netbpfload asynchronously.");
+        }
     }
 
     ALOGI("BPF programs are loaded");
diff --git a/staticlibs/native/bpf_headers/include/bpf/bpf_helpers.h b/staticlibs/native/bpf_headers/include/bpf/bpf_helpers.h
index 6864bad..9bd6470 100644
--- a/staticlibs/native/bpf_headers/include/bpf/bpf_helpers.h
+++ b/staticlibs/native/bpf_headers/include/bpf/bpf_helpers.h
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@
     unsigned _btf_min_bpfloader_ver SECTION("btf_min_bpfloader_ver") = 39u; \
     unsigned _btf_user_min_bpfloader_ver SECTION("btf_user_min_bpfloader_ver") = 0xFFFFFFFFu
 
+#define DISABLE_ON_MAINLINE_BEFORE_U_QPR3() \
+    unsigned _netbpfload_min_ver SECTION("netbpfload_min_ver") = BPFLOADER_MAINLINE_U_QPR3_VERSION;
+
 /* flag the resulting bpf .o file as critical to system functionality,
  * loading all kernel version appropriate programs in it must succeed
  * for bpfloader success