diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/riscv/sbi_pmu_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/riscv/sbi_pmu_test.c
index f45c0ecc902d..284bc80193bd 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/riscv/sbi_pmu_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kvm/riscv/sbi_pmu_test.c
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ static void stop_counter(unsigned long counter, unsigned long stop_flags)
 
 	ret = sbi_ecall(SBI_EXT_PMU, SBI_EXT_PMU_COUNTER_STOP, counter, 1, stop_flags,
 			0, 0, 0);
-	__GUEST_ASSERT(ret.error == 0, "Unable to stop counter %ld error %ld\n",
-			       counter, ret.error);
+	__GUEST_ASSERT(ret.error == 0 || ret.error == SBI_ERR_ALREADY_STOPPED,
+		       "Unable to stop counter %ld error %ld\n", counter, ret.error);
 }
 
 static void guest_illegal_exception_handler(struct ex_regs *regs)
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@ static void guest_irq_handler(struct ex_regs *regs)
 	unsigned int irq_num = regs->cause & ~CAUSE_IRQ_FLAG;
 	struct riscv_pmu_snapshot_data *snapshot_data = snapshot_gva;
 	unsigned long overflown_mask;
-	unsigned long counter_val = 0;
 
 	/* Validate that we are in the correct irq handler */
 	GUEST_ASSERT_EQ(irq_num, IRQ_PMU_OVF);
@@ -151,10 +150,6 @@ static void guest_irq_handler(struct ex_regs *regs)
 	GUEST_ASSERT(overflown_mask & 0x01);
 
 	WRITE_ONCE(vcpu_shared_irq_count, vcpu_shared_irq_count+1);
-
-	counter_val = READ_ONCE(snapshot_data->ctr_values[0]);
-	/* Now start the counter to mimick the real driver behavior */
-	start_counter(counter_in_use, SBI_PMU_START_FLAG_SET_INIT_VALUE, counter_val);
 }
 
 static unsigned long get_counter_index(unsigned long cbase, unsigned long cmask,