diff --git a/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.24.2.ebuild b/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.24.2.ebuild
index ea57a4ba3a3ff..1acda8b72b78d 100644
--- a/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.24.2.ebuild
+++ b/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.24.2.ebuild
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@ pkg_pretend() {
 		~HAVE_EBPF_JIT
 	"
 
+	if use test; then
+		# force linux-info to check kernel configurations only in the
+		# running kernel, not in any on-disk configuration (bug 977516)
+		KERNEL_DIR="linux-info-runtime-checks-only"
+	fi
+
 	check_extra_config
 
 	if use test; then
diff --git a/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.25.1.ebuild b/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.25.1.ebuild
index ab4ee111d39f9..5b65f8be22286 100644
--- a/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.25.1.ebuild
+++ b/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.25.1.ebuild
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ pkg_pretend() {
 		~HAVE_EBPF_JIT
 	"
 
+	if use test; then
+		# force linux-info to check kernel configurations only in the
+		# running kernel, not in any on-disk configuration (bug 977516)
+		KERNEL_DIR="linux-info-runtime-checks-only"
+	fi
+
 	check_extra_config
 
 	if use test; then
diff --git a/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.26.1.ebuild b/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.26.1.ebuild
index 726742c759d6e..37e9efa983ec0 100644
--- a/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.26.1.ebuild
+++ b/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-0.26.1.ebuild
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ pkg_pretend() {
 		~HAVE_EBPF_JIT
 	"
 
+	if use test; then
+		# force linux-info to check kernel configurations only in the
+		# running kernel, not in any on-disk configuration (bug 977516)
+		KERNEL_DIR="linux-info-runtime-checks-only"
+	fi
+
 	check_extra_config
 
 	if use test; then
diff --git a/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-9999.ebuild b/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-9999.ebuild
index 726742c759d6e..37e9efa983ec0 100644
--- a/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-9999.ebuild
+++ b/dev-debug/bpftrace/bpftrace-9999.ebuild
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ pkg_pretend() {
 		~HAVE_EBPF_JIT
 	"
 
+	if use test; then
+		# force linux-info to check kernel configurations only in the
+		# running kernel, not in any on-disk configuration (bug 977516)
+		KERNEL_DIR="linux-info-runtime-checks-only"
+	fi
+
 	check_extra_config
 
 	if use test; then