diff --git a/helper/seccomp/api.go b/helper/seccomp/api.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b4a42c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helper/seccomp/api.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package seccomp
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+func Export(opts SyscallOpts) (f *os.File, err error) {
+	if f, err = tmpfile(); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	if err = exportFilter(f.Fd(), opts); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	_, err = f.Seek(0, io.SeekStart)
+	return
+}
+
+/*
+An Encoder writes a BPF program to an output stream.
+
+Methods of Encoder are not safe for concurrent use.
+
+An Encoder must not be copied after first use.
+*/
+type Encoder struct {
+	*exporter
+}
+
+func (e *Encoder) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	if err = e.prepare(); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	return e.r.Read(p)
+}
+
+func (e *Encoder) Close() error {
+	if e.r == nil {
+		return syscall.EINVAL
+	}
+
+	// this hangs if the cgo thread fails to exit
+	return errors.Join(e.closeWrite(), <-e.exportErr)
+}
+
+// New returns an inactive Encoder instance.
+func New(opts SyscallOpts) *Encoder {
+	return &Encoder{newExporter(opts)}
+}
diff --git a/helper/seccomp/export.go b/helper/seccomp/export.go
index 1bcb714..4ac620b 100644
--- a/helper/seccomp/export.go
+++ b/helper/seccomp/export.go
@@ -1,17 +1,56 @@
 package seccomp
 
 import (
-	"io"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
+	"runtime"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 )
 
-func Export(opts SyscallOpts) (f *os.File, err error) {
-	if f, err = tmpfile(); err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-	if err = exportFilter(f.Fd(), opts); err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-	_, err = f.Seek(0, io.SeekStart)
-	return
+type exporter struct {
+	opts SyscallOpts
+	r, w *os.File
+
+	prepareOnce sync.Once
+	prepareErr  error
+	closeErr    atomic.Pointer[error]
+	exportErr   <-chan error
+}
+
+func (e *exporter) prepare() error {
+	e.prepareOnce.Do(func() {
+		if r, w, err := os.Pipe(); err != nil {
+			e.prepareErr = err
+			return
+		} else {
+			e.r, e.w = r, w
+		}
+
+		ec := make(chan error, 1)
+		go func() { ec <- exportFilter(e.w.Fd(), e.opts); close(ec); _ = e.closeWrite() }()
+		e.exportErr = ec
+		runtime.SetFinalizer(e, (*exporter).closeWrite)
+	})
+	return e.prepareErr
+}
+
+func (e *exporter) closeWrite() error {
+	if !e.closeErr.CompareAndSwap(nil, &fs.ErrInvalid) {
+		return *e.closeErr.Load()
+	}
+	if e.w == nil {
+		return fs.ErrInvalid
+	}
+	err := e.w.Close()
+	e.closeErr.Store(&err)
+
+	// no need for a finalizer anymore
+	runtime.SetFinalizer(e, nil)
+
+	return err
+}
+
+func newExporter(opts SyscallOpts) *exporter {
+	return &exporter{opts: opts}
 }
diff --git a/helper/seccomp/export_test.go b/helper/seccomp/export_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bbafa3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helper/seccomp/export_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+package seccomp_test
+
+import (
+	"crypto/sha512"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"slices"
+	"syscall"
+	"testing"
+
+	"git.gensokyo.uk/security/fortify/helper/seccomp"
+	"git.gensokyo.uk/security/fortify/internal/fmsg"
+)
+
+func TestExport(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name    string
+		opts    seccomp.SyscallOpts
+		want    []byte
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{"compat", 0, []byte{
+			0x95, 0xec, 0x69, 0xd0, 0x17, 0x73, 0x3e, 0x07,
+			0x21, 0x60, 0xe0, 0xda, 0x80, 0xfd, 0xeb, 0xec,
+			0xdf, 0x27, 0xae, 0x81, 0x66, 0xf5, 0xe2, 0xa7,
+			0x31, 0x27, 0x0c, 0x98, 0xea, 0x2d, 0x29, 0x46,
+			0xcb, 0x52, 0x31, 0x02, 0x90, 0x63, 0x66, 0x8a,
+			0xf2, 0x15, 0x87, 0x91, 0x55, 0xda, 0x21, 0xac,
+			0xa7, 0x9b, 0x07, 0x0e, 0x04, 0xc0, 0xee, 0x9a,
+			0xcd, 0xf5, 0x8f, 0x55, 0xcf, 0xa8, 0x15, 0xa5,
+		}, false},
+		{"base", seccomp.FlagExt, []byte{
+			0xdc, 0x7f, 0x2e, 0x1c, 0x5e, 0x82, 0x9b, 0x79,
+			0xeb, 0xb7, 0xef, 0xc7, 0x59, 0x15, 0x0f, 0x54,
+			0xa8, 0x3a, 0x75, 0xc8, 0xdf, 0x6f, 0xee, 0x4d,
+			0xce, 0x5d, 0xad, 0xc4, 0x73, 0x6c, 0x58, 0x5d,
+			0x4d, 0xee, 0xbf, 0xeb, 0x3c, 0x79, 0x69, 0xaf,
+			0x3a, 0x07, 0x7e, 0x90, 0xb7, 0x7b, 0xb4, 0x74,
+			0x1d, 0xb0, 0x5d, 0x90, 0x99, 0x7c, 0x86, 0x59,
+			0xb9, 0x58, 0x91, 0x20, 0x6a, 0xc9, 0x95, 0x2d,
+		}, false},
+		{"everything", seccomp.FlagExt |
+			seccomp.FlagDenyNS | seccomp.FlagDenyTTY | seccomp.FlagDenyDevel |
+			seccomp.FlagMultiarch | seccomp.FlagLinux32 | seccomp.FlagCan |
+			seccomp.FlagBluetooth, []byte{
+			0xe9, 0x9d, 0xd3, 0x45, 0xe1, 0x95, 0x41, 0x34,
+			0x73, 0xd3, 0xcb, 0xee, 0x07, 0xb4, 0xed, 0x57,
+			0xb9, 0x08, 0xbf, 0xa8, 0x9e, 0xa2, 0x07, 0x2f,
+			0xe9, 0x34, 0x82, 0x84, 0x7f, 0x50, 0xb5, 0xb7,
+			0x58, 0xda, 0x17, 0xe7, 0x4c, 0xa2, 0xbb, 0xc0,
+			0x08, 0x13, 0xde, 0x49, 0xa2, 0xb9, 0xbf, 0x83,
+			0x4c, 0x02, 0x4e, 0xd4, 0x88, 0x50, 0xbe, 0x69,
+			0xb6, 0x8a, 0x9a, 0x4c, 0x5f, 0x53, 0xa9, 0xdb,
+		}, false},
+		{"strict", seccomp.FlagExt |
+			seccomp.FlagDenyNS | seccomp.FlagDenyTTY | seccomp.FlagDenyDevel, []byte{
+			0xe8, 0x80, 0x29, 0x8d, 0xf2, 0xbd, 0x67, 0x51,
+			0xd0, 0x04, 0x0f, 0xc2, 0x1b, 0xc0, 0xed, 0x4c,
+			0x00, 0xf9, 0x5d, 0xc0, 0xd7, 0xba, 0x50, 0x6c,
+			0x24, 0x4d, 0x8b, 0x8c, 0xf6, 0x86, 0x6d, 0xba,
+			0x8e, 0xf4, 0xa3, 0x32, 0x96, 0xf2, 0x87, 0xb6,
+			0x6c, 0xcc, 0xc1, 0xd7, 0x8e, 0x97, 0x02, 0x65,
+			0x97, 0xf8, 0x4c, 0xc7, 0xde, 0xc1, 0x57, 0x3e,
+			0x14, 0x89, 0x60, 0xfb, 0xd3, 0x5c, 0xd7, 0x35,
+		}, false},
+		{"strict compat", 0 |
+			seccomp.FlagDenyNS | seccomp.FlagDenyTTY | seccomp.FlagDenyDevel, []byte{
+			0x39, 0x87, 0x1b, 0x93, 0xff, 0xaf, 0xc8, 0xb9,
+			0x79, 0xfc, 0xed, 0xc0, 0xb0, 0xc3, 0x7b, 0x9e,
+			0x03, 0x92, 0x2f, 0x5b, 0x02, 0x74, 0x8d, 0xc5,
+			0xc3, 0xc1, 0x7c, 0x92, 0x52, 0x7f, 0x6e, 0x02,
+			0x2e, 0xde, 0x1f, 0x48, 0xbf, 0xf5, 0x92, 0x46,
+			0xea, 0x45, 0x2c, 0x0d, 0x1d, 0xe5, 0x48, 0x27,
+			0x80, 0x8b, 0x1a, 0x6f, 0x84, 0xf3, 0x2b, 0xbd,
+			0xe1, 0xaa, 0x02, 0xae, 0x30, 0xee, 0xdc, 0xfa,
+		}, false},
+	}
+
+	buf := make([]byte, 8)
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			seccomp.CPrintln = fmsg.Println
+			t.Cleanup(func() { seccomp.CPrintln = nil })
+
+			e := seccomp.New(tc.opts)
+			digest := sha512.New()
+
+			if _, err := io.CopyBuffer(digest, e, buf); (err != nil) != tc.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("Exporter: error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tc.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if err := e.Close(); err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("Close: error = %v", err)
+				return
+			}
+			if got := digest.Sum(nil); slices.Compare(got, tc.want) != 0 {
+				t.Fatalf("Export() hash = %x, want %x",
+					got, tc.want)
+				return
+			}
+		})
+	}
+
+	t.Run("close without use", func(t *testing.T) {
+		e := seccomp.New(0)
+		if err := e.Close(); !errors.Is(err, syscall.EINVAL) {
+			t.Errorf("Close: error = %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("close partial read", func(t *testing.T) {
+		e := seccomp.New(0)
+		if _, err := e.Read(make([]byte, 0)); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Read: error = %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+		if err := e.Close(); err == nil || err.Error() != "seccomp_export_bpf failed: operation canceled" {
+			t.Errorf("Close: error = %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/helper/seccomp/seccomp.go b/helper/seccomp/seccomp.go
index ed13118..affe369 100644
--- a/helper/seccomp/seccomp.go
+++ b/helper/seccomp/seccomp.go
@@ -28,14 +28,22 @@ var resErr = [...]error{
 type SyscallOpts = C.f_syscall_opts
 
 const (
-	flagVerbose   SyscallOpts = C.F_VERBOSE
-	FlagExt       SyscallOpts = C.F_EXT
-	FlagDenyNS    SyscallOpts = C.F_DENY_NS
-	FlagDenyTTY   SyscallOpts = C.F_DENY_TTY
+	flagVerbose SyscallOpts = C.F_VERBOSE
+	// FlagExt are project-specific extensions.
+	FlagExt SyscallOpts = C.F_EXT
+	// FlagDenyNS denies namespace setup syscalls.
+	FlagDenyNS SyscallOpts = C.F_DENY_NS
+	// FlagDenyTTY denies faking input.
+	FlagDenyTTY SyscallOpts = C.F_DENY_TTY
+	// FlagDenyDevel denies development-related syscalls.
 	FlagDenyDevel SyscallOpts = C.F_DENY_DEVEL
+	// FlagMultiarch allows multiarch/emulation.
 	FlagMultiarch SyscallOpts = C.F_MULTIARCH
-	FlagLinux32   SyscallOpts = C.F_LINUX32
-	FlagCan       SyscallOpts = C.F_CAN
+	// FlagLinux32 sets PER_LINUX32.
+	FlagLinux32 SyscallOpts = C.F_LINUX32
+	// FlagCan allows AF_CAN.
+	FlagCan SyscallOpts = C.F_CAN
+	// FlagBluetooth allows AF_BLUETOOTH.
 	FlagBluetooth SyscallOpts = C.F_BLUETOOTH
 )