diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/diag.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/diag.sh
index b63510ce2327..4ffdd415e670 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/diag.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/diag.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ __chk_nr()
 
 	nr=$(eval $command)
 
-	printf "%-50s" "$msg"
+	mptcp_lib_print_title "$msg"
 	if [ "$nr" != "$expected" ]; then
 		if [ "$nr" = "$skip" ] && ! mptcp_lib_expect_all_features; then
 			echo "[ skip ] Feature probably not supported"
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ __chk_nr()
 		echo "[  ok  ]"
 		mptcp_lib_result_pass "${msg}"
 	fi
-	MPTCP_LIB_TEST_COUNTER=$((MPTCP_LIB_TEST_COUNTER+1))
 }
 
 __chk_msk_nr()
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ wait_msk_nr()
 		sleep 1
 	done
 
-	printf "%-50s" "$msg"
+	mptcp_lib_print_title "$msg"
 	if [ $i -ge $timeout ]; then
 		echo "[ fail ] timeout while expecting $expected max $max last $nr"
 		mptcp_lib_result_fail "${msg} # timeout"
@@ -126,7 +125,6 @@ wait_msk_nr()
 		echo "[  ok  ]"
 		mptcp_lib_result_pass "${msg}"
 	fi
-	MPTCP_LIB_TEST_COUNTER=$((MPTCP_LIB_TEST_COUNTER+1))
 }
 
 chk_msk_fallback_nr()
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_connect.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_connect.sh
index 915faee77e25..bbda37d6514f 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_connect.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_connect.sh
@@ -249,7 +249,8 @@ fi
 
 print_larger_title() {
 	# here we don't have the time, a bit longer for the alignment
-	printf "%-69s" "${@}"
+	MPTCP_LIB_TEST_FORMAT="%02u %-69s" \
+		mptcp_lib_print_title "${@}"
 }
 
 check_mptcp_disabled()
@@ -320,7 +321,6 @@ do_transfer()
 	local extra_args="$7"
 
 	port=$((port + 1))
-	MPTCP_LIB_TEST_COUNTER=$((MPTCP_LIB_TEST_COUNTER+1))
 
 	if [ "$rcvbuf" -gt 0 ]; then
 		extra_args="$extra_args -R $rcvbuf"
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ do_transfer()
 	addr_port=$(printf "%s:%d" ${connect_addr} ${port})
 	local result_msg
 	result_msg="$(printf "%.3s %-5s -> %.3s (%-20s) %-5s" ${connector_ns} ${cl_proto} ${listener_ns} ${addr_port} ${srv_proto})"
-	printf "%-50s" "${result_msg}"
+	mptcp_lib_print_title "${result_msg}"
 
 	if $capture; then
 		local capuser
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_sockopt.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_sockopt.sh
index 17b36c1312f4..19d0ac31b6a9 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_sockopt.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_sockopt.sh
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ check_mark()
 
 print_title()
 {
-	printf "%-50s" "${@}"
+	mptcp_lib_print_title "${@}"
 }
 
 do_transfer()
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/pm_netlink.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/pm_netlink.sh
index 427fc5c70b3c..5b9bc25dfef4 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/pm_netlink.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/pm_netlink.sh
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ check()
 	local msg="$3"
 	local rc=0
 
-	printf "%-50s" "$msg"
+	mptcp_lib_print_title "$msg"
 	mptcp_lib_check_output "${err}" "${cmd}" "${expected}" || rc=${?}
 	if [ ${rc} -eq 2 ]; then
 		mptcp_lib_result_fail "${msg} # error ${rc}"
@@ -189,7 +189,8 @@ subflow,backup,fullmesh 10.0.1.1" "          (backup,fullmesh)"
 else
 	for st in fullmesh nofullmesh backup,fullmesh; do
 		st="          (${st})"
-		printf "%-50s%s\n" "${st}" "[SKIP]"
+		mptcp_lib_print_title "${st}"
+		echo "[SKIP]"
 		mptcp_lib_result_skip "${st}"
 	done
 fi
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/simult_flows.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/simult_flows.sh
index 3ad663e38c42..b7549d9364d6 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/simult_flows.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/simult_flows.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ ns3=""
 capture=false
 timeout_poll=30
 timeout_test=$((timeout_poll * 2 + 1))
+# a bit more space: because we have more to display
+MPTCP_LIB_TEST_FORMAT="%02u %-60s"
 ret=0
 bail=0
 slack=50
@@ -126,7 +128,6 @@ do_transfer()
 	local max_time=$3
 	local port
 	port=$((10000+MPTCP_LIB_TEST_COUNTER))
-	MPTCP_LIB_TEST_COUNTER=$((MPTCP_LIB_TEST_COUNTER+1))
 
 	:> "$cout"
 	:> "$sout"
@@ -238,7 +239,7 @@ run_test()
 	# completion (see mptcp_connect): 200ms on each side, add some slack
 	time=$((time + 400 + slack))
 
-	printf "%-60s" "$msg"
+	mptcp_lib_print_title "$msg"
 	do_transfer $small $large $time
 	lret=$?
 	mptcp_lib_result_code "${lret}" "${msg}"
@@ -248,7 +249,7 @@ run_test()
 	fi
 
 	msg+=" - reverse direction"
-	printf "%-60s" "${msg}"
+	mptcp_lib_print_title "${msg}"
 	do_transfer $large $small $time
 	lret=$?
 	mptcp_lib_result_code "${lret}" "${msg}"
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh
index b0cce8f065d8..ca238592baee 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ ns1=""
 ns2=""
 ret=0
 test_name=""
+# a bit more space: because we have more to display
+MPTCP_LIB_TEST_FORMAT="%02u %-68s"
 
 _printf() {
 	stdbuf -o0 -e0 printf "${@}"
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ print_test()
 {
 	test_name="${1}"
 
-	_printf "%-68s" "${test_name}"
+	mptcp_lib_print_title "${test_name}"
 }
 
 print_results()