diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/network_helpers.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/network_helpers.c
index 92c980b18afd..9404db032a5c 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/network_helpers.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/network_helpers.c
@@ -458,22 +458,30 @@ struct nstoken *open_netns(const char *name)
 	struct nstoken *token;
 
 	token = calloc(1, sizeof(struct nstoken));
-	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(token, "malloc token"))
+	if (!token) {
+		log_err("Failed to malloc token");
 		return NULL;
+	}
 
 	token->orig_netns_fd = open("/proc/self/ns/net", O_RDONLY);
-	if (!ASSERT_GE(token->orig_netns_fd, 0, "open /proc/self/ns/net"))
+	if (token->orig_netns_fd <= 0) {
+		log_err("Failed to open /proc/self/ns/net");
 		goto fail;
+	}
 
 	snprintf(nspath, sizeof(nspath), "%s/%s", "/var/run/netns", name);
 	nsfd = open(nspath, O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC);
-	if (!ASSERT_GE(nsfd, 0, "open netns fd"))
+	if (nsfd <= 0) {
+		log_err("Failed to open netns fd");
 		goto fail;
+	}
 
 	err = setns(nsfd, CLONE_NEWNET);
 	close(nsfd);
-	if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "setns"))
+	if (err) {
+		log_err("Failed to setns");
 		goto fail;
+	}
 
 	return token;
 fail:
@@ -486,7 +494,8 @@ void close_netns(struct nstoken *token)
 	if (!token)
 		return;
 
-	ASSERT_OK(setns(token->orig_netns_fd, CLONE_NEWNET), "setns");
+	if (setns(token->orig_netns_fd, CLONE_NEWNET))
+		log_err("Failed to setns");
 	close(token->orig_netns_fd);
 	free(token);
 }
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/empty_skb.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/empty_skb.c
index 261228eb68e8..438583e1f2d1 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/empty_skb.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/empty_skb.c
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ void test_empty_skb(void)
 
 	SYS(out, "ip netns add empty_skb");
 	tok = open_netns("empty_skb");
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(tok, "setns"))
+		goto out;
 	SYS(out, "ip link add veth0 type veth peer veth1");
 	SYS(out, "ip link set dev veth0 up");
 	SYS(out, "ip link set dev veth1 up");
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/ip_check_defrag.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/ip_check_defrag.c
index 8dd2af9081f4..284764e7179f 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/ip_check_defrag.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/ip_check_defrag.c
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ static int attach(struct ip_check_defrag *skel, bool ipv6)
 	int err = -1;
 
 	nstoken = open_netns(NS1);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(nstoken, "setns"))
+		goto out;
 
 	skel->links.defrag = bpf_program__attach_netfilter(skel->progs.defrag, &opts);
 	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(skel->links.defrag, "program attach"))
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/tc_redirect.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/tc_redirect.c
index dbe06aeaa2b2..b1073d36d77a 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/tc_redirect.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/tc_redirect.c
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ static int wait_netstamp_needed_key(void)
 	__u64 tstamp = 0;
 
 	nstoken = open_netns(NS_DST);
-	if (!nstoken)
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(nstoken, "setns dst"))
 		return -1;
 
 	srv_fd = start_server(AF_INET6, SOCK_DGRAM, "::1", 0, 0);
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/test_tunnel.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/test_tunnel.c
index 5f1fb0a2ea56..cec746e77cd3 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/test_tunnel.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/test_tunnel.c
@@ -612,6 +612,8 @@ static void test_ipip_tunnel(enum ipip_encap encap)
 
 	/* ping from at_ns0 namespace test */
 	nstoken = open_netns("at_ns0");
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(nstoken, "setns"))
+		goto done;
 	err = test_ping(AF_INET, IP4_ADDR_TUNL_DEV1);
 	if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "test_ping"))
 		goto done;
@@ -666,6 +668,8 @@ static void test_xfrm_tunnel(void)
 
 	/* ping from at_ns0 namespace test */
 	nstoken = open_netns("at_ns0");
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(nstoken, "setns"))
+		goto done;
 	err = test_ping(AF_INET, IP4_ADDR_TUNL_DEV1);
 	close_netns(nstoken);
 	if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "test_ping"))
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/xdp_metadata.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/xdp_metadata.c
index 05edcf32f528..f76b5d67a3ee 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/xdp_metadata.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/xdp_metadata.c
@@ -384,6 +384,8 @@ void test_xdp_metadata(void)
 	SYS(out, "ip netns add " RX_NETNS_NAME);
 
 	tok = open_netns(TX_NETNS_NAME);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(tok, "setns"))
+		goto out;
 	SYS(out, "ip link add numtxqueues 1 numrxqueues 1 " TX_NAME
 	    " type veth peer " RX_NAME " numtxqueues 1 numrxqueues 1");
 	SYS(out, "ip link set " RX_NAME " netns " RX_NETNS_NAME);
@@ -400,6 +402,8 @@ void test_xdp_metadata(void)
 	SYS(out, "ip -4 neigh add " RX_ADDR " lladdr " RX_MAC " dev " TX_NAME_VLAN);
 
 	switch_ns_to_rx(&tok);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(tok, "setns rx"))
+		goto out;
 
 	SYS(out, "ip link set dev " RX_NAME " address " RX_MAC);
 	SYS(out, "ip link set dev " RX_NAME " up");
@@ -449,6 +453,8 @@ void test_xdp_metadata(void)
 		goto out;
 
 	switch_ns_to_tx(&tok);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(tok, "setns tx"))
+		goto out;
 
 	/* Setup separate AF_XDP for TX interface nad send packet to the RX socket. */
 	tx_ifindex = if_nametoindex(TX_NAME);
@@ -461,6 +467,8 @@ void test_xdp_metadata(void)
 		goto out;
 
 	switch_ns_to_rx(&tok);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(tok, "setns rx"))
+		goto out;
 
 	/* Verify packet sent from AF_XDP has proper metadata. */
 	if (!ASSERT_GE(verify_xsk_metadata(&rx_xsk, true), 0,
@@ -468,6 +476,8 @@ void test_xdp_metadata(void)
 		goto out;
 
 	switch_ns_to_tx(&tok);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(tok, "setns tx"))
+		goto out;
 	complete_tx(&tx_xsk);
 
 	/* Now check metadata of packet, generated with network stack */
@@ -475,6 +485,8 @@ void test_xdp_metadata(void)
 		goto out;
 
 	switch_ns_to_rx(&tok);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(tok, "setns rx"))
+		goto out;
 
 	if (!ASSERT_GE(verify_xsk_metadata(&rx_xsk, false), 0,
 		       "verify_xsk_metadata"))
@@ -498,6 +510,8 @@ void test_xdp_metadata(void)
 		goto out;
 
 	switch_ns_to_tx(&tok);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(tok, "setns tx"))
+		goto out;
 
 	/* Send packet to trigger . */
 	if (!ASSERT_GE(generate_packet(&tx_xsk, AF_XDP_CONSUMER_PORT), 0,
@@ -505,6 +519,8 @@ void test_xdp_metadata(void)
 		goto out;
 
 	switch_ns_to_rx(&tok);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(tok, "setns rx"))
+		goto out;
 
 	while (!retries--) {
 		if (bpf_obj2->bss->called)
