diff --git a/src/net_buffer_tuner.bpf.c b/src/net_buffer_tuner.bpf.c
index d7eb005..bef6f0e 100644
--- a/src/net_buffer_tuner.bpf.c
+++ b/src/net_buffer_tuner.bpf.c
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@
 #include <bpftune/bpftune.bpf.h>
 #include "net_buffer_tuner.h"
 
-extern const void netdev_max_backlog __ksym;
-
 #ifndef NET_RX_DROP
 #define NET_RX_DROP	1
 #endif
@@ -31,6 +29,8 @@ __u64 drop_interval_start = 0;
 
 __u64 flow_limit_cpu_bitmap = 0;
 
+int netdev_max_backlog = 0;
+
 #ifdef BPFTUNE_LEGACY
 SEC("kretprobe/enqueue_to_backlog")
 int BPF_KRETPROBE(bpftune_enqueue_to_backlog, int ret)
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ int BPF_PROG(bpftune_enqueue_to_backlog, struct sk_buff *skb, int cpu,
 	     unsigned int *qtail, int ret)
 #endif
 {
+	int max_backlog = netdev_max_backlog;
 	struct bpftune_event event =  { 0 };
 	long old[3], new[3];
-	int max_backlog, *max_backlogp = (int *)&netdev_max_backlog;
 	__u64 time, cpubit;
 
 	/* a high-frequency event so bail early if we can... */
@@ -54,10 +54,7 @@ int BPF_PROG(bpftune_enqueue_to_backlog, struct sk_buff *skb, int cpu,
 	/* only sample subset of drops to reduce overhead. */
 	if ((drop_count % 4) != 0)
 		return 0;
-	if (bpf_probe_read_kernel(&max_backlog, sizeof(max_backlog),
-				  max_backlogp))
-		return 0;
-
+	
 	/* if we drop more than 1/16 of the backlog queue size/min,
 	 * increase backlog queue size.  This means as the queue size
 	 * increases, the likliehood of hitting that limit decreases.
diff --git a/src/net_buffer_tuner.c b/src/net_buffer_tuner.c
index 7f84f9a..359af05 100644
--- a/src/net_buffer_tuner.c
+++ b/src/net_buffer_tuner.c
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@ static struct bpftunable_scenario scenarios[] = {
 int init(struct bpftuner *tuner)
 {
 	long cpu_bitmap = 0;
+	long max_backlog = 0;
 	int err;
 
 	bpftune_sysctl_read(0, "net.core.flow_limit_cpu_bitmap", &cpu_bitmap);
-
+	bpftune_sysctl_read(0, "net.core.netdev_max_backlog", &max_backlog);
 	err = bpftuner_bpf_open(net_buffer, tuner);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
@@ -41,6 +42,8 @@ int init(struct bpftuner *tuner)
 		return err;
 	bpftuner_bpf_var_set(net_buffer, tuner, flow_limit_cpu_bitmap,
 			     cpu_bitmap);
+	bpftuner_bpf_var_set(net_buffer, tuner, netdev_max_backlog,
+			     max_backlog);
 	err = bpftuner_bpf_attach(net_buffer, tuner);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
@@ -82,6 +85,9 @@ void event_handler(struct bpftuner *tuner,
 					     tunable,
 					     event->update[0].old[0],
 					     event->update[0].new[0]);
+		/* update value of netdev_max_backlog for BPF program */
+		bpftuner_bpf_var_set(net_buffer, tuner, netdev_max_backlog,
+				     event->update[0].new[0]);
 		break;
 	case FLOW_LIMIT_CPU_BITMAP:
 		bpftuner_tunable_sysctl_write(tuner, id, scenario,