diff --git a/src/btf.c b/src/btf.c
index bf75f77..5a6ac40 100644
--- a/src/btf.c
+++ b/src/btf.c
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ struct btf {
 	 *   - for split BTF counts number of types added on top of base BTF.
 	 */
 	__u32 nr_types;
+	/* the start IDs of named types in sorted BTF */
+	int named_start_id;
 	/* if not NULL, points to the base BTF on top of which the current
 	 * split BTF is based
 	 */
@@ -897,44 +899,79 @@ int btf__resolve_type(const struct btf *btf, __u32 type_id)
 	return type_id;
 }
 
-__s32 btf__find_by_name(const struct btf *btf, const char *type_name)
+static __s32 btf_find_type_by_name_bsearch(const struct btf *btf, const char *name,
+					   __s32 start_id)
 {
-	__u32 i, nr_types = btf__type_cnt(btf);
+	const struct btf_type *t;
+	const char *tname;
+	__s32 l, r, m;
 
-	if (!strcmp(type_name, "void"))
+	l = start_id;
+	r = btf__type_cnt(btf) - 1;
+	while (l <= r) {
+		m = l + (r - l) / 2;
+		t = btf_type_by_id(btf, m);
+		tname = btf__str_by_offset(btf, t->name_off);
+		if (strcmp(tname, name) >= 0) {
+			if (l == r)
+				return r;
+			r = m;
+		} else {
+			l = m + 1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return btf__type_cnt(btf);
+}
+
+static __s32 btf_find_by_name_kind(const struct btf *btf, int start_id,
+				   const char *type_name, __s32 kind)
+{
+	__u32 nr_types = btf__type_cnt(btf);
+	const struct btf_type *t;
+	const char *tname;
+	__s32 id;
+
+	if (start_id < btf->start_id) {
+		id = btf_find_by_name_kind(btf->base_btf, start_id,
+					   type_name, kind);
+		if (id >= 0)
+			return id;
+		start_id = btf->start_id;
+	}
+
+	if (kind == BTF_KIND_UNKN || strcmp(type_name, "void") == 0)
 		return 0;
 
-	for (i = 1; i < nr_types; i++) {
-		const struct btf_type *t = btf__type_by_id(btf, i);
-		const char *name = btf__name_by_offset(btf, t->name_off);
-
-		if (name && !strcmp(type_name, name))
-			return i;
+	if (btf->named_start_id > 0 && type_name[0]) {
+		start_id = max(start_id, btf->named_start_id);
+		id = btf_find_type_by_name_bsearch(btf, type_name, start_id);
+		for (; id < nr_types; id++) {
+			t = btf__type_by_id(btf, id);
+			tname = btf__str_by_offset(btf, t->name_off);
+			if (strcmp(tname, type_name) != 0)
+				return libbpf_err(-ENOENT);
+			if (kind < 0 || btf_kind(t) == kind)
+				return id;
+		}
+	} else {
+		for (id = start_id; id < nr_types; id++) {
+			t = btf_type_by_id(btf, id);
+			if (kind > 0 && btf_kind(t) != kind)
+				continue;
+			tname = btf__str_by_offset(btf, t->name_off);
+			if (strcmp(tname, type_name) == 0)
+				return id;
+		}
 	}
 
 	return libbpf_err(-ENOENT);
 }
 
-static __s32 btf_find_by_name_kind(const struct btf *btf, int start_id,
-				   const char *type_name, __u32 kind)
+/* the kind value of -1 indicates that kind matching should be skipped */
+__s32 btf__find_by_name(const struct btf *btf, const char *type_name)
 {
-	__u32 i, nr_types = btf__type_cnt(btf);
-
-	if (kind == BTF_KIND_UNKN || !strcmp(type_name, "void"))
-		return 0;
-
-	for (i = start_id; i < nr_types; i++) {
-		const struct btf_type *t = btf__type_by_id(btf, i);
-		const char *name;
-
-		if (btf_kind(t) != kind)
-			continue;
-		name = btf__name_by_offset(btf, t->name_off);
-		if (name && !strcmp(type_name, name))
-			return i;
-	}
-
-	return libbpf_err(-ENOENT);
+	return btf_find_by_name_kind(btf, 1, type_name, -1);
 }
 
 __s32 btf__find_by_name_kind_own(const struct btf *btf, const char *type_name,
@@ -1006,6 +1043,7 @@ static struct btf *btf_new_empty(struct btf *base_btf)
 	btf->fd = -1;
 	btf->ptr_sz = sizeof(void *);
 	btf->swapped_endian = false;
+	btf->named_start_id = 0;
 
 	if (base_btf) {
 		btf->base_btf = base_btf;
@@ -1057,6 +1095,7 @@ static struct btf *btf_new(const void *data, __u32 size, struct btf *base_btf, b
 	btf->start_id = 1;
 	btf->start_str_off = 0;
 	btf->fd = -1;
+	btf->named_start_id = 0;
 
 	if (base_btf) {
 		btf->base_btf = base_btf;
@@ -1715,6 +1754,7 @@ static void btf_invalidate_raw_data(struct btf *btf)
 		free(btf->raw_data_swapped);
 		btf->raw_data_swapped = NULL;
 	}
+	btf->named_start_id = 0;
 }
 
 /* Ensure BTF is ready to be modified (by splitting into a three memory