diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh
index 0ff60b3744c0..bd6a1a8879a7 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_join.sh
@@ -468,12 +468,8 @@ reset_with_events()
 {
 	reset "${1}" || return 1
 
-	:> "$evts_ns1"
-	:> "$evts_ns2"
-	ip netns exec $ns1 ./pm_nl_ctl events >> "$evts_ns1" 2>&1 &
-	evts_ns1_pid=$!
-	ip netns exec $ns2 ./pm_nl_ctl events >> "$evts_ns2" 2>&1 &
-	evts_ns2_pid=$!
+	mptcp_lib_events "${ns1}" "${evts_ns1}" evts_ns1_pid
+	mptcp_lib_events "${ns2}" "${evts_ns2}" evts_ns2_pid
 }
 
 reset_with_tcp_filter()
@@ -672,7 +668,9 @@ wait_mpj()
 kill_events_pids()
 {
 	mptcp_lib_kill_wait $evts_ns1_pid
+	evts_ns1_pid=0
 	mptcp_lib_kill_wait $evts_ns2_pid
+	evts_ns2_pid=0
 }
 
 pm_nl_set_limits()
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_lib.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_lib.sh
index d8766b270f30..db6a2daab41e 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_lib.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_lib.sh
@@ -258,3 +258,15 @@ mptcp_lib_get_counter() {
 
 	echo "${count}"
 }
+
+mptcp_lib_events() {
+	local ns="${1}"
+	local evts="${2}"
+	declare -n pid="${3}"
+
+	:>"${evts}"
+
+	mptcp_lib_kill_wait "${pid:-0}"
+	ip netns exec "${ns}" ./pm_nl_ctl events >> "${evts}" 2>&1 &
+	pid=$!
+}
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh
index 59bdb17b2b7f..c5d7af8e8efd 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/userspace_pm.sh
@@ -201,21 +201,11 @@ make_connection()
 	if [ -z "$client_evts" ]; then
 		client_evts=$(mktemp)
 	fi
-	:>"$client_evts"
-	if [ $client_evts_pid -ne 0 ]; then
-		mptcp_lib_kill_wait $client_evts_pid
-	fi
-	ip netns exec "$ns2" ./pm_nl_ctl events >> "$client_evts" 2>&1 &
-	client_evts_pid=$!
+	mptcp_lib_events "${ns2}" "${client_evts}" client_evts_pid
 	if [ -z "$server_evts" ]; then
 		server_evts=$(mktemp)
 	fi
-	:>"$server_evts"
-	if [ $server_evts_pid -ne 0 ]; then
-		mptcp_lib_kill_wait $server_evts_pid
-	fi
-	ip netns exec "$ns1" ./pm_nl_ctl events >> "$server_evts" 2>&1 &
-	server_evts_pid=$!
+	mptcp_lib_events "${ns1}" "${server_evts}" server_evts_pid
 	sleep 0.5
 
 	# Run the server