diff --git a/travis-ci/vmtest/build_selftests.sh b/travis-ci/vmtest/build_selftests.sh
index f09870d..24c9978 100755
--- a/travis-ci/vmtest/build_selftests.sh
+++ b/travis-ci/vmtest/build_selftests.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+set -euxo pipefail
+
 LLVM_VER=11
 LIBBPF_PATH="${REPO_ROOT}"
 REPO_PATH="travis-ci/vmtest/bpf-next"
 
-# temporary work-around for failing tests
-rm "${REPO_ROOT}/${REPO_PATH}/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/sockmap_basic.c"
+PREPARE_SELFTESTS_SCRIPT=${VMTEST_ROOT}/prepare_selftests-${KERNEL}.sh
+if [ -f "${PREPARE_SELFTESTS_SCRIPT}" ]; then
+	(cd "${REPO_ROOT}/${REPO_PATH}/tools/testing/selftests/bpf" && ${PREPARE_SELFTESTS_SCRIPT})
+fi
 
 make \
 	CLANG=clang-${LLVM_VER} \
@@ -21,5 +25,4 @@ cd ${LIBBPF_PATH}
 rm selftests/bpf/.gitignore
 git add selftests
 
-blacklist_path="${VMTEST_ROOT}/configs/blacklist"
-git add "${blacklist_path}"
+git add "${VMTEST_ROOT}/configs/blacklist"
diff --git a/travis-ci/vmtest/configs/blacklist/BLACKLIST-5.5.0 b/travis-ci/vmtest/configs/blacklist/BLACKLIST-5.5.0
index 21cd696..ebc5a4c 100644
--- a/travis-ci/vmtest/configs/blacklist/BLACKLIST-5.5.0
+++ b/travis-ci/vmtest/configs/blacklist/BLACKLIST-5.5.0
@@ -12,16 +12,25 @@ fentry_fexit		# bpf_prog_test_tracing missing
 fentry_test		# bpf_prog_test_tracing missing
 fexit_bpf2bpf		# freplace is missing
 fexit_test		# bpf_prog_test_tracing missing
+flow_dissector		# bpf_link-based flow dissector is in 5.8+
+flow_dissector_reattach
 get_stack_raw_tp	# exercising BPF verifier bug causing infinite loop
 link_pinning		# bpf_link is missing
 mmap			# 5.5 kernel is too permissive with re-mmaping
 modify_return		# fmod_ret support is missing
 ns_current_pid_tgid	# bpf_get_ns_current_pid_tgid() helper is missing
 perf_branches		# bpf_read_branch_records() helper is missing
+ringbuf			# BPF_MAP_TYPE_RINGBUF is supported in 5.8+
+reference_tracking/classifier/sk_lookup_success		# bug in verifier w/ tracking references
 select_reuseport	# UDP support is missing
 sk_assign		# bpf_sk_assign helper missing
+skb_helpers		# helpers added in 5.8+
 sockmap_listen		# no listen socket supportin SOCKMAP
 skb_ctx			# ctx_{size, }_{in, out} in BPF_PROG_TEST_RUN is missing
+# latest Clang generates code that fails to verify
+test_bpf_verif_scale/strobemeta.o
+test_bpf_verif_scale/strobemeta_nounroll1.o
+test_bpf_verif_scale/strobemeta_nounroll2.o
 test_global_funcs	# kernel doesn't support BTF linkage=global on FUNCs
 test_lsm		# no BPF_LSM support
 test_overhead		# no fmod_ret support
@@ -33,3 +42,4 @@ xdp_bpf2bpf		# freplace is missing
 
 # TEMPORARILY DISABLED
 send_signal		# flaky
+cls_redirect		# latest Clang breaks BPF verification
diff --git a/travis-ci/vmtest/configs/blacklist/BLACKLIST-latest b/travis-ci/vmtest/configs/blacklist/BLACKLIST-latest
index 30e48dc..f2cad34 100644
--- a/travis-ci/vmtest/configs/blacklist/BLACKLIST-latest
+++ b/travis-ci/vmtest/configs/blacklist/BLACKLIST-latest
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 send_signal		# flaky
 test_lsm		# semi-working
 sk_assign		# needs better setup in Travis CI
+cls_redirect		# latest Clang breaks BPF verification
diff --git a/travis-ci/vmtest/prepare_selftests-5.5.0.sh b/travis-ci/vmtest/prepare_selftests-5.5.0.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2c874c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/travis-ci/vmtest/prepare_selftests-5.5.0.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euxo pipefail
+
+# these tests expect vmlinux.h to have latest defiition of bpf_devmap_val xdp_md->egress_ifindex
+rm progs/test_xdp_with_devmap_helpers.c
+rm progs/test_xdp_devmap_helpers.c
+rm prog_tests/xdp_devmap_attach.c
+
+# no BPF_F_NO_PREALLOC in BTF and no sk_msg_md->sk field
+rm progs/test_skmsg_load_helpers.c
+rm prog_tests/sockmap_basic.c