diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh
index 9d8dde3b5c33..2107579e2939 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh
@@ -2167,9 +2167,9 @@ link_failure_tests()
 		pm_nl_set_limits $ns1 0 2
 		pm_nl_add_endpoint $ns1 10.0.2.1 dev ns1eth2 flags signal
 		pm_nl_set_limits $ns2 1 2
-		FAILING_LINKS="1"
 		pm_nl_add_endpoint $ns2 10.0.3.2 dev ns2eth3 flags subflow,backup
-		run_tests $ns1 $ns2 10.0.1.1 1
+		FAILING_LINKS="1" \
+			run_tests $ns1 $ns2 10.0.1.1 1
 		chk_join_nr 2 2 2
 		chk_add_nr 1 1
 		chk_link_usage $ns2 ns2eth3 $cinsent 0
@@ -2183,8 +2183,8 @@ link_failure_tests()
 		pm_nl_add_endpoint $ns1 10.0.2.1 dev ns1eth2 flags signal
 		pm_nl_set_limits $ns2 1 2
 		pm_nl_add_endpoint $ns2 10.0.3.2 dev ns2eth3 flags subflow,backup
-		FAILING_LINKS="1 2"
-		run_tests $ns1 $ns2 10.0.1.1 1
+		FAILING_LINKS="1 2" \
+			run_tests $ns1 $ns2 10.0.1.1 1
 		chk_join_nr 2 2 2
 		chk_add_nr 1 1
 		chk_stale_nr $ns2 2 4 2
@@ -2199,8 +2199,8 @@ link_failure_tests()
 		pm_nl_add_endpoint $ns1 10.0.2.1 dev ns1eth2 flags signal
 		pm_nl_set_limits $ns2 1 3
 		pm_nl_add_endpoint $ns2 10.0.3.2 dev ns2eth3 flags subflow,backup
-		FAILING_LINKS="1 2"
-		run_tests $ns1 $ns2 10.0.1.1 2
+		FAILING_LINKS="1 2" \
+			run_tests $ns1 $ns2 10.0.1.1 2
 		chk_join_nr 2 2 2
 		chk_add_nr 1 1
 		chk_stale_nr $ns2 1 -1 2