diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/cache.c b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/cache.c
index 7f45c4957f816..58ee6f6b0edff 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/cache.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/cache.c
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ static struct perf_event_read pe_read;
 static int pe_fd;
 char llc_occup_path[1024];
 
-static void perf_event_attr_initialize(void)
+static void perf_event_attr_initialize(__u64 config)
 {
+	memset(&pea_llc_miss, 0, sizeof(struct perf_event_attr));
 	pea_llc_miss.type = PERF_TYPE_HARDWARE;
 	pea_llc_miss.size = sizeof(struct perf_event_attr);
 	pea_llc_miss.read_format = PERF_FORMAT_GROUP;
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ static void perf_event_attr_initialize(void)
 	pea_llc_miss.inherit = 1;
 	pea_llc_miss.exclude_guest = 1;
 	pea_llc_miss.disabled = 1;
+	pea_llc_miss.config = config;
 }
 
 /* Start counters to log values */
@@ -36,16 +38,9 @@ static void perf_event_reset_enable(void)
 	ioctl(pe_fd, PERF_EVENT_IOC_ENABLE, 0);
 }
 
-static void perf_event_initialize(void)
+static void perf_event_initialize_read_format(void)
 {
-	memset(&pea_llc_miss, 0, sizeof(struct perf_event_attr));
 	memset(&pe_read, 0, sizeof(struct perf_event_read));
-
-	/* Initialize perf_event_attr structures for HW_CACHE_MISSES */
-	perf_event_attr_initialize();
-
-	pea_llc_miss.config = PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_MISSES;
-
 	pe_read.nr = 1;
 }
 
@@ -204,7 +199,8 @@ int cat_val(struct resctrl_val_param *param, size_t span)
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	perf_event_initialize();
+	perf_event_attr_initialize(PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_MISSES);
+	perf_event_initialize_read_format();
 
 	/* Test runs until the callback setup() tells the test to stop. */
 	while (1) {