diff --git a/samples/bpf/tracex2_user.c b/samples/bpf/tracex2_user.c
index ded9804..7fee0f1 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/tracex2_user.c
+++ b/samples/bpf/tracex2_user.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <linux/bpf.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <sys/resource.h>
 
 #include "libbpf.h"
 #include "bpf_load.h"
@@ -112,6 +113,7 @@ static void int_exit(int sig)
 
 int main(int ac, char **argv)
 {
+	struct rlimit r = {1024*1024, RLIM_INFINITY};
 	char filename[256];
 	long key, next_key, value;
 	FILE *f;
@@ -119,6 +121,11 @@ int main(int ac, char **argv)
 
 	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s_kern.o", argv[0]);
 
+	if (setrlimit(RLIMIT_MEMLOCK, &r)) {
+		perror("setrlimit(RLIMIT_MEMLOCK)");
+		return 1;
+	}
+
 	signal(SIGINT, int_exit);
 
 	/* start 'ping' in the background to have some kfree_skb events */
diff --git a/samples/bpf/tracex3_user.c b/samples/bpf/tracex3_user.c
index 8f7d199..fe372239 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/tracex3_user.c
+++ b/samples/bpf/tracex3_user.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <linux/bpf.h>
+#include <sys/resource.h>
 
 #include "libbpf.h"
 #include "bpf_load.h"
@@ -112,11 +113,17 @@ static void print_hist(int fd)
 
 int main(int ac, char **argv)
 {
+	struct rlimit r = {1024*1024, RLIM_INFINITY};
 	char filename[256];
 	int i;
 
 	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s_kern.o", argv[0]);
 
+	if (setrlimit(RLIMIT_MEMLOCK, &r)) {
+		perror("setrlimit(RLIMIT_MEMLOCK)");
+		return 1;
+	}
+
 	if (load_bpf_file(filename)) {
 		printf("%s", bpf_log_buf);
 		return 1;
diff --git a/samples/bpf/tracex4_user.c b/samples/bpf/tracex4_user.c
index 03449f77..22c644f 100644
--- a/samples/bpf/tracex4_user.c
+++ b/samples/bpf/tracex4_user.c
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <linux/bpf.h>
+#include <sys/resource.h>
+
 #include "libbpf.h"
 #include "bpf_load.h"
 
@@ -50,11 +52,17 @@ static void print_old_objects(int fd)
 
 int main(int ac, char **argv)
 {
+	struct rlimit r = {RLIM_INFINITY, RLIM_INFINITY};
 	char filename[256];
 	int i;
 
 	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s_kern.o", argv[0]);
 
+	if (setrlimit(RLIMIT_MEMLOCK, &r)) {
+		perror("setrlimit(RLIMIT_MEMLOCK, RLIM_INFINITY)");
+		return 1;
+	}
+
 	if (load_bpf_file(filename)) {
 		printf("%s", bpf_log_buf);
 		return 1;