diff --git a/src/core/bpf-restrict-fsaccess.c b/src/core/bpf-restrict-fsaccess.c
index ab746bda05..7184bac658 100644
--- a/src/core/bpf-restrict-fsaccess.c
+++ b/src/core/bpf-restrict-fsaccess.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ assert_cc(sizeof_field(typeof_field(struct restrict_fsaccess_bpf, bss[0]), initr
         [RESTRICT_FILESYSTEM_ACCESS_LINK_BPF_GUARD]         = (obj)->links.restrict_fsaccess_bpf_guard,                  \
 }
 
-bool dm_verity_require_signatures(void) {
+static bool dm_verity_require_signatures(void) {
         int r;
 
         r = read_boolean_file("/sys/module/dm_verity/parameters/require_signatures");
@@ -94,6 +94,35 @@ bool dm_verity_require_signatures(void) {
         return r > 0;
 }
 
+/* The kernel-side prerequisites of the policy, shared with test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess. */
+int bpf_restrict_fsaccess_check_prerequisites(void) {
+        int r;
+
+        r = dlopen_bpf(LOG_ERR);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        r = lsm_supported("bpf");
+        if (r == -ENOPKG)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "bpf-restrict-fsaccess: securityfs not mounted, BPF LSM not available.");
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "bpf-restrict-fsaccess: Can't determine whether the BPF LSM module is "
+                                       "used: %m");
+        if (r == 0)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EOPNOTSUPP),
+                                       "bpf-restrict-fsaccess: BPF LSM hook not enabled in the kernel, not supported.");
+        log_debug("bpf-restrict-fsaccess: BPF LSM: supported.");
+
+        if (!dm_verity_require_signatures())
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOKEY),
+                                       "bpf-restrict-fsaccess: dm-verity require_signatures is not enabled. "
+                                       "RestrictFileSystemAccess= requires the kernel to enforce dm-verity signatures. "
+                                       "Set dm_verity.require_signatures=1 on the kernel command line.");
+        log_debug("bpf-restrict-fsaccess: dm-verity require_signatures: enabled.");
+
+        return 0;
+}
+
 static int get_root_s_dev(uint32_t *ret) {
         struct stat st;
 
@@ -416,27 +445,10 @@ int bpf_restrict_fsaccess_setup(Manager *m) {
                 return 0;
         }
 
-        /* Fresh setup: verify BPF LSM is available */
-        r = dlopen_bpf(LOG_WARNING);
+        r = bpf_restrict_fsaccess_check_prerequisites();
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        r = lsm_supported("bpf");
-        if (r == -ENOPKG)
-                return log_warning_errno(r, "bpf-restrict-fsaccess: securityfs not mounted, BPF LSM not available.");
-        if (r < 0)
-                return log_warning_errno(r, "bpf-restrict-fsaccess: Can't determine whether the BPF LSM module is used: %m");
-        if (r == 0)
-                return log_warning_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EOPNOTSUPP),
-                                         "bpf-restrict-fsaccess: BPF LSM hook not enabled in the kernel, not supported.");
-
-        /* Require dm-verity signature enforcement */
-        if (!dm_verity_require_signatures())
-                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOKEY),
-                                       "bpf-restrict-fsaccess: dm-verity require_signatures is not enabled. "
-                                       "RestrictFileSystemAccess= requires the kernel to enforce dm-verity signatures. "
-                                       "Set dm_verity.require_signatures=1 on the kernel command line.");
-
         r = bpf_restrict_fsaccess_prepare(&obj);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
@@ -554,8 +566,8 @@ int bpf_restrict_fsaccess_serialize(Manager *m, FILE *f, FDSet *fds) {
 
 #else /* ! BPF_FRAMEWORK || ! HAVE_LSM_INTEGRITY_TYPE */
 
-bool dm_verity_require_signatures(void) {
-        return false;
+int bpf_restrict_fsaccess_check_prerequisites(void) {
+        return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 }
 
 int bpf_restrict_fsaccess_setup(Manager *m) {
diff --git a/src/core/bpf-restrict-fsaccess.h b/src/core/bpf-restrict-fsaccess.h
index 0a8cb45c8f..0549e18165 100644
--- a/src/core/bpf-restrict-fsaccess.h
+++ b/src/core/bpf-restrict-fsaccess.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ enum {
 
 extern const char* const restrict_fsaccess_link_names[_RESTRICT_FILESYSTEM_ACCESS_LINK_MAX];
 
-bool dm_verity_require_signatures(void);
+int bpf_restrict_fsaccess_check_prerequisites(void);
 int bpf_restrict_fsaccess_setup(Manager *m);
 int bpf_restrict_fsaccess_prepare(struct restrict_fsaccess_bpf **ret);
 int bpf_restrict_fsaccess_populate_guard(struct restrict_fsaccess_bpf *obj);
diff --git a/src/test/test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess.c b/src/test/test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess.c
index 0e2358c2ea..7e99a37cc6 100644
--- a/src/test/test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess.c
+++ b/src/test/test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess.c
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
  *   test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess attach              — Load, attach, print IDs, then block.
  *                                                Kill the process to detach (synchronous
  *                                                via bpf_link_put_direct on last FD close).
- *   test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess check               — Check BPF LSM + require_signatures preconditions
+ *   test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess check               — Run PID 1's prerequisite checks (BPF LSM,
+ *                                                require_signatures)
  *   test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess mmap-exec PATH      — Attempt PROT_READ|PROT_EXEC mmap of PATH
  *   test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess anon-mmap-exec      — Attempt anonymous PROT_READ|PROT_EXEC mmap
  *   test-bpf-restrict-fsaccess mprotect-exec PATH  — mmap PATH PROT_READ, then mprotect to PROT_EXEC
@@ -34,7 +35,6 @@
 #include "errno-util.h"
 #include "fd-util.h"
 #include "log.h"
-#include "lsm-util.h"
 #include "string-util.h"
 #include "tests.h"
 
@@ -241,15 +241,12 @@ static int do_attach(void) {
 static int do_check(void) {
         int r;
 
-        r = dlopen_bpf(LOG_WARNING);
+        r = bpf_restrict_fsaccess_check_prerequisites();
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        r = lsm_supported("bpf");
-        if (r <= 0)
-                return log_error_errno(r < 0 ? r : EOPNOTSUPP, "BPF LSM is not available: %m");
-        log_info("BPF LSM: supported");
-
+        /* Last: linking attaches bprm_check for an instant with an empty trust map, during which every
+         * execve() on the system is denied. Keep that window out of the cheap failure paths above. */
         _cleanup_(restrict_fsaccess_bpf_freep) struct restrict_fsaccess_bpf *obj = NULL;
         r = bpf_restrict_fsaccess_prepare(&obj);
         if (r < 0)
@@ -259,10 +256,6 @@ static int do_check(void) {
                 return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EOPNOTSUPP),
                                        "bpf-restrict-fsaccess: Failed to link program.");
 
-        if (!dm_verity_require_signatures())
-                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOKEY), "dm-verity require_signatures is not enabled.");
-        log_info("dm-verity require_signatures: enabled");
-
         return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/units/TEST-90-RESTRICT-FSACCESS.config.sh b/test/units/TEST-90-RESTRICT-FSACCESS.config.sh
index 40f3782f18..d83e310060 100755
--- a/test/units/TEST-90-RESTRICT-FSACCESS.config.sh
+++ b/test/units/TEST-90-RESTRICT-FSACCESS.config.sh
@@ -90,9 +90,8 @@ testcase_no_require_signatures_helper() {
         fi
     fi
 
-    # The helper's "check" command runs the same bpf_restrict_fsaccess_supported()
-    # and dm_verity_require_signatures() checks that PID1 uses. It must fail
-    # because require_signatures is not enabled.
+    # The helper's "check" command runs the same bpf_restrict_fsaccess_check_prerequisites()
+    # checks that PID1 uses. It must fail because require_signatures is not enabled.
     if "$HELPER" check; then
         echo "ERROR: helper check succeeded but require_signatures is not enabled"
         return 1