diff --git a/libbpf_android/Loader.cpp b/libbpf_android/Loader.cpp
index fb4e36c..7c2a725 100644
--- a/libbpf_android/Loader.cpp
+++ b/libbpf_android/Loader.cpp
@@ -390,6 +390,7 @@
     string fname = pathToFilename(string(elfPath), true);
 
     ret = readSectionByName("maps", elfFile, mdData);
+    if (ret == -2) return 0;  // no maps to read
     if (ret) return ret;
     md.resize(mdData.size() / sizeof(struct bpf_map_def));
     memcpy(md.data(), mdData.data(), mdData.size());