diff --git a/libbpf_android/Loader.cpp b/libbpf_android/Loader.cpp
index 8f5318d..5a65c1b 100644
--- a/libbpf_android/Loader.cpp
+++ b/libbpf_android/Loader.cpp
@@ -564,8 +564,9 @@
         progPinLoc += '_';
         progPinLoc += name;
         if (access(progPinLoc.c_str(), F_OK) == 0) {
-            fd = bpf_obj_get(progPinLoc.c_str());
-            ALOGD("New bpf prog load reusing prog %s, ret: %d\n", progPinLoc.c_str(), fd);
+            fd = retrieveProgram(progPinLoc.c_str());
+            ALOGD("New bpf prog load reusing prog %s, ret: %d (%s)\n", progPinLoc.c_str(), fd,
+                  (fd < 0 ? std::strerror(errno) : "no error"));
             reuse = true;
         } else {
             vector<char> log_buf(BPF_LOAD_LOG_SZ, 0);
@@ -579,9 +580,15 @@
             if (fd < 0) {
                 std::vector<std::string> lines = android::base::Split(log_buf.data(), "\n");
 
-                ALOGE("bpf_prog_load - BEGIN log_buf contents:");
-                for (const auto& line : lines) ALOGE("%s", line.c_str());
-                ALOGE("bpf_prog_load - END log_buf contents.");
+                ALOGW("bpf_prog_load - BEGIN log_buf contents:");
+                for (const auto& line : lines) ALOGW("%s", line.c_str());
+                ALOGW("bpf_prog_load - END log_buf contents.");
+
+                if (cs[i].prog_def->optional) {
+                    ALOGW("failed program is marked optional - continuing...");
+                    continue;
+                }
+                ALOGE("non-optional program failed to load.");
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/libbpf_android/include/bpf/BpfMap.h b/libbpf_android/include/bpf/BpfMap.h
index c92f989..3e7413e 100644
--- a/libbpf_android/include/bpf/BpfMap.h
+++ b/libbpf_android/include/bpf/BpfMap.h
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@
 
 template <class Key, class Value>
 base::Result<void> BpfMap<Key, Value>::init(const char* path) {
-    mMapFd = base::unique_fd(mapRetrieve(path, 0));
+    mMapFd = base::unique_fd(mapRetrieveRW(path));
     if (mMapFd == -1) {
         return ErrnoErrorf("Pinned map not accessible or does not exist: ({})", path);
     }
diff --git a/libbpf_android/include/bpf/BpfUtils.h b/libbpf_android/include/bpf/BpfUtils.h
index f724f3b..6814f94 100644
--- a/libbpf_android/include/bpf/BpfUtils.h
+++ b/libbpf_android/include/bpf/BpfUtils.h
@@ -129,6 +129,22 @@
     return bpfFdGet(pathname, flag);
 }
 
+inline int mapRetrieveRW(const char* pathname) {
+    return mapRetrieve(pathname, 0);
+}
+
+inline int mapRetrieveRO(const char* pathname) {
+    return mapRetrieve(pathname, BPF_F_RDONLY);
+}
+
+inline int mapRetrieveWO(const char* pathname) {
+    return mapRetrieve(pathname, BPF_F_WRONLY);
+}
+
+inline int retrieveProgram(const char* pathname) {
+    return bpfFdGet(pathname, BPF_F_RDONLY);
+}
+
 inline int attachProgram(bpf_attach_type type, const base::unique_fd& prog_fd,
                          const base::unique_fd& cg_fd) {
     return bpf(BPF_PROG_ATTACH, {