diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_cpu.c b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_cpu.c
index a5eccfcabef5..f9f7017d9299 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_cpu.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_cpu.c
@@ -291,6 +291,8 @@ static int test_cpucg_nice(const char *root)
 
 		user_usec = cg_read_key_long(cpucg, "cpu.stat", "user_usec");
 		nice_usec = cg_read_key_long(cpucg, "cpu.stat", "nice_usec");
+		if (user_usec <= 0)
+			goto cleanup;
 		if (!values_close_report(nice_usec, expected_nice_usec, 1))
 			goto cleanup;