diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_common.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_common.c
index b150da43adb2..437226866ce8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_common.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/netronome/nfp/nfp_net_common.c
@@ -3562,9 +3562,6 @@ static int nfp_net_xdp_setup_drv(struct nfp_net *nn, struct netdev_bpf *bpf)
 	struct nfp_net_dp *dp;
 	int err;
 
-	if (!xdp_attachment_flags_ok(&nn->xdp, bpf))
-		return -EBUSY;
-
 	if (!prog == !nn->dp.xdp_prog) {
 		WRITE_ONCE(nn->dp.xdp_prog, prog);
 		xdp_attachment_setup(&nn->xdp, bpf);
@@ -3593,9 +3590,6 @@ static int nfp_net_xdp_setup_hw(struct nfp_net *nn, struct netdev_bpf *bpf)
 {
 	int err;
 
-	if (!xdp_attachment_flags_ok(&nn->xdp_hw, bpf))
-		return -EBUSY;
-
 	err = nfp_app_xdp_offload(nn->app, nn, bpf->prog, bpf->extack);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/cpsw_priv.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/cpsw_priv.c
index 31c5e36ff706..424e644724e4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/cpsw_priv.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/cpsw_priv.c
@@ -1265,9 +1265,6 @@ static int cpsw_xdp_prog_setup(struct cpsw_priv *priv, struct netdev_bpf *bpf)
 	if (!priv->xdpi.prog && !prog)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (!xdp_attachment_flags_ok(&priv->xdpi, bpf))
-		return -EBUSY;
-
 	WRITE_ONCE(priv->xdp_prog, prog);
 
 	xdp_attachment_setup(&priv->xdpi, bpf);
diff --git a/drivers/net/netdevsim/bpf.c b/drivers/net/netdevsim/bpf.c
index 2e90512f3bbe..85546664bdd5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/netdevsim/bpf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/netdevsim/bpf.c
@@ -190,9 +190,6 @@ nsim_xdp_set_prog(struct netdevsim *ns, struct netdev_bpf *bpf,
 {
 	int err;
 
-	if (!xdp_attachment_flags_ok(xdp, bpf))
-		return -EBUSY;
-
 	if (bpf->command == XDP_SETUP_PROG && !ns->bpf_xdpdrv_accept) {
 		NSIM_EA(bpf->extack, "driver XDP disabled in DebugFS");
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
diff --git a/include/net/xdp.h b/include/net/xdp.h
index 3814fb631d52..9dab2bc6f187 100644
--- a/include/net/xdp.h
+++ b/include/net/xdp.h
@@ -240,8 +240,6 @@ struct xdp_attachment_info {
 };
 
 struct netdev_bpf;
-bool xdp_attachment_flags_ok(struct xdp_attachment_info *info,
-			     struct netdev_bpf *bpf);
 void xdp_attachment_setup(struct xdp_attachment_info *info,
 			  struct netdev_bpf *bpf);
 
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index 8588ade790cb..38412e70f761 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -8917,6 +8917,17 @@ static struct bpf_prog *dev_xdp_prog(struct net_device *dev,
 	return dev->xdp_state[mode].prog;
 }
 
+static u8 dev_xdp_prog_count(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	u8 count = 0;
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < __MAX_XDP_MODE; i++)
+		if (dev->xdp_state[i].prog || dev->xdp_state[i].link)
+			count++;
+	return count;
+}
+
 u32 dev_xdp_prog_id(struct net_device *dev, enum bpf_xdp_mode mode)
 {
 	struct bpf_prog *prog = dev_xdp_prog(dev, mode);
@@ -9007,6 +9018,7 @@ static int dev_xdp_attach(struct net_device *dev, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack
 			  struct bpf_xdp_link *link, struct bpf_prog *new_prog,
 			  struct bpf_prog *old_prog, u32 flags)
 {
+	unsigned int num_modes = hweight32(flags & XDP_FLAGS_MODES);
 	struct bpf_prog *cur_prog;
 	enum bpf_xdp_mode mode;
 	bpf_op_t bpf_op;
@@ -9022,11 +9034,17 @@ static int dev_xdp_attach(struct net_device *dev, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack
 		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Invalid XDP flags for BPF link attachment");
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
-	/* just one XDP mode bit should be set, zero defaults to SKB mode */
-	if (hweight32(flags & XDP_FLAGS_MODES) > 1) {
+	/* just one XDP mode bit should be set, zero defaults to drv/skb mode */
+	if (num_modes > 1) {
 		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Only one XDP mode flag can be set");
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
+	/* avoid ambiguity if offload + drv/skb mode progs are both loaded */
+	if (!num_modes && dev_xdp_prog_count(dev) > 1) {
+		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack,
+			       "More than one program loaded, unset mode is ambiguous");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 	/* old_prog != NULL implies XDP_FLAGS_REPLACE is set */
 	if (old_prog && !(flags & XDP_FLAGS_REPLACE)) {
 		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "XDP_FLAGS_REPLACE is not specified");
diff --git a/net/core/xdp.c b/net/core/xdp.c
index 491ad569a79c..d900cebc0acd 100644
--- a/net/core/xdp.c
+++ b/net/core/xdp.c
@@ -403,18 +403,6 @@ void __xdp_release_frame(void *data, struct xdp_mem_info *mem)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__xdp_release_frame);
 
-bool xdp_attachment_flags_ok(struct xdp_attachment_info *info,
-			     struct netdev_bpf *bpf)
-{
-	if (info->prog && (bpf->flags ^ info->flags) & XDP_FLAGS_MODES) {
-		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(bpf->extack,
-			       "program loaded with different flags");
-		return false;
-	}
-	return true;
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(xdp_attachment_flags_ok);
-
 void xdp_attachment_setup(struct xdp_attachment_info *info,
 			  struct netdev_bpf *bpf)
 {