diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_sockopt.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_sockopt.sh
index 42d533b95ec7..6cde7429104b 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_sockopt.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_sockopt.sh
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ do_transfer()
 				${local_addr} < "$sin" > "$sout" &
 	local spid=$!
 
-	sleep 1
+	mptcp_lib_wait_local_port_listen "${listener_ns}" "${port}"
 
 	timeout ${timeout_test} \
 		ip netns exec ${connector_ns} \
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh
index 87323942cb8a..e9ae1806ab07 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh
@@ -211,7 +211,8 @@ make_connection()
 	ip netns exec "$ns1" \
 	   ./mptcp_connect -s MPTCP -w 300 -p $app_port -l $listen_addr > /dev/null 2>&1 &
 	local server_pid=$!
-	sleep 0.5
+
+	mptcp_lib_wait_local_port_listen "${ns1}" "${port}"
 
 	# Run the client, transfer $file and stay connected to the server
 	# to conduct tests