diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh
index 3da39febb09e..cfd43037c6d5 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh
@@ -261,6 +261,19 @@ reset()
 	return 0
 }
 
+# $1: test name ; $2: counter to check
+reset_check_counter()
+{
+	reset "${1}" || return 1
+
+	local counter="${2}"
+
+	if ! nstat -asz "${counter}" | grep -wq "${counter}"; then
+		mark_as_skipped "counter '${counter}' is not available"
+		return 1
+	fi
+}
+
 # $1: test name
 reset_with_cookies()
 {
@@ -3121,14 +3134,14 @@ fullmesh_tests()
 
 fastclose_tests()
 {
-	if reset "fastclose test"; then
+	if reset_check_counter "fastclose test" "MPTcpExtMPFastcloseTx"; then
 		run_tests $ns1 $ns2 10.0.1.1 1024 0 fastclose_client
 		chk_join_nr 0 0 0
 		chk_fclose_nr 1 1
 		chk_rst_nr 1 1 invert
 	fi
 
-	if reset "fastclose server test"; then
+	if reset_check_counter "fastclose server test" "MPTcpExtMPFastcloseRx"; then
 		run_tests $ns1 $ns2 10.0.1.1 1024 0 fastclose_server
 		chk_join_nr 0 0 0
 		chk_fclose_nr 1 1 invert