diff --git a/elf_reader.go b/elf_reader.go
index 38bb7dad3..8f64d858c 100644
--- a/elf_reader.go
+++ b/elf_reader.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type elfCode struct {
-	*elf.File
+	*internal.SafeELFFile
 	symbols           []elf.Symbol
 	symbolsPerSection map[elf.SectionIndex]map[uint64]elf.Symbol
 	license           string
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func LoadCollectionSpec(file string) (*CollectionSpec, error) {
 
 // LoadCollectionSpecFromReader parses an ELF file into a CollectionSpec.
 func LoadCollectionSpecFromReader(rd io.ReaderAt) (*CollectionSpec, error) {
-	f, err := elf.NewFile(rd)
+	f, err := internal.NewSafeELFFile(rd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/btf/btf.go b/internal/btf/btf.go
index 51f84d0db..57f2b7d10 100644
--- a/internal/btf/btf.go
+++ b/internal/btf/btf.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ type btfHeader struct {
 //
 // Returns a nil Spec and no error if no BTF was present.
 func LoadSpecFromReader(rd io.ReaderAt) (*Spec, error) {
-	file, err := elf.NewFile(rd)
+	file, err := internal.NewSafeELFFile(rd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func LoadSpecFromReader(rd io.ReaderAt) (*Spec, error) {
 	return spec, nil
 }
 
-func findBtfSections(file *elf.File) (*elf.Section, *elf.Section, map[string]uint32, error) {
+func findBtfSections(file *internal.SafeELFFile) (*elf.Section, *elf.Section, map[string]uint32, error) {
 	var (
 		btfSection    *elf.Section
 		btfExtSection *elf.Section
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func findBtfSections(file *elf.File) (*elf.Section, *elf.Section, map[string]uin
 }
 
 func loadSpecFromVmlinux(rd io.ReaderAt) (*Spec, error) {
-	file, err := elf.NewFile(rd)
+	file, err := internal.NewSafeELFFile(rd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/elf.go b/internal/elf.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c3f9ea0f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/elf.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package internal
+
+import (
+	"debug/elf"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+)
+
+type SafeELFFile struct {
+	*elf.File
+}
+
+// NewSafeELFFile reads an ELF safely.
+//
+// Any panic during parsing is turned into an error. This is necessary since
+// there are a bunch of unfixed bugs in debug/elf.
+//
+// https://github.com/golang/go/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+debug%2Felf+in%3Atitle
+func NewSafeELFFile(r io.ReaderAt) (safe *SafeELFFile, err error) {
+	defer func() {
+		r := recover()
+		if r == nil {
+			return
+		}
+
+		safe = nil
+		err = fmt.Errorf("reading ELF file panicked: %s", r)
+	}()
+
+	file, err := elf.NewFile(r)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &SafeELFFile{file}, nil
+}
+
+// Symbols is the safe version of elf.File.Symbols.
+func (se *SafeELFFile) Symbols() (syms []elf.Symbol, err error) {
+	defer func() {
+		r := recover()
+		if r == nil {
+			return
+		}
+
+		syms = nil
+		err = fmt.Errorf("reading ELF symbols panicked: %s", r)
+	}()
+
+	syms, err = se.File.Symbols()
+	return
+}