diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_core.c b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_core.c
index be59f9c34ea2..d78f1c5366d3 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_core.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_core.c
@@ -376,6 +376,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	if (cg_find_unified_root(root, sizeof(root)))
 		ksft_exit_skip("cgroup v2 isn't mounted\n");
+
+	if (cg_read_strstr(root, "cgroup.subtree_control", "memory"))
+		if (cg_write(root, "cgroup.subtree_control", "+memory"))
+			ksft_exit_skip("Failed to set memory controller\n");
+
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(tests); i++) {
 		switch (tests[i].fn(root)) {
 		case KSFT_PASS: