diff --git a/samples/bpf/bpf_helpers.h b/samples/bpf/bpf_helpers.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca03331
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/bpf/bpf_helpers.h
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#ifndef __BPF_HELPERS_H
+#define __BPF_HELPERS_H
+
+/* helper macro to place programs, maps, license in
+ * different sections in elf_bpf file. Section names
+ * are interpreted by elf_bpf loader
+ */
+#define SEC(NAME) __attribute__((section(NAME), used))
+
+/* helper functions called from eBPF programs written in C */
+static void *(*bpf_map_lookup_elem)(void *map, void *key) =
+	(void *) BPF_FUNC_map_lookup_elem;
+static int (*bpf_map_update_elem)(void *map, void *key, void *value,
+				  unsigned long long flags) =
+	(void *) BPF_FUNC_map_update_elem;
+static int (*bpf_map_delete_elem)(void *map, void *key) =
+	(void *) BPF_FUNC_map_delete_elem;
+
+/* llvm builtin functions that eBPF C program may use to
+ * emit BPF_LD_ABS and BPF_LD_IND instructions
+ */
+struct sk_buff;
+unsigned long long load_byte(void *skb,
+			     unsigned long long off) asm("llvm.bpf.load.byte");
+unsigned long long load_half(void *skb,
+			     unsigned long long off) asm("llvm.bpf.load.half");
+unsigned long long load_word(void *skb,
+			     unsigned long long off) asm("llvm.bpf.load.word");
+
+/* a helper structure used by eBPF C program
+ * to describe map attributes to elf_bpf loader
+ */
+struct bpf_map_def {
+	unsigned int type;
+	unsigned int key_size;
+	unsigned int value_size;
+	unsigned int max_entries;
+};
+
+#endif