diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/x86/fsgsbase.c b/tools/testing/selftests/x86/fsgsbase.c
index 15a329da59fa3..950a48b2e3662 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/x86/fsgsbase.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/x86/fsgsbase.c
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ static void test_ptrace_write_gsbase(void)
 	wait(&status);
 
 	if (WSTOPSIG(status) == SIGTRAP) {
-		unsigned long gs, base;
+		unsigned long gs;
 		unsigned long gs_offset = USER_REGS_OFFSET(gs);
 		unsigned long base_offset = USER_REGS_OFFSET(gs_base);
 
@@ -481,7 +481,6 @@ static void test_ptrace_write_gsbase(void)
 			err(1, "PTRACE_POKEUSER");
 
 		gs = ptrace(PTRACE_PEEKUSER, child, gs_offset, NULL);
-		base = ptrace(PTRACE_PEEKUSER, child, base_offset, NULL);
 
 		/*
 		 * In a non-FSGSBASE system, the nonzero selector will load
@@ -489,11 +488,21 @@ static void test_ptrace_write_gsbase(void)
 		 * selector value is changed or not by the GSBASE write in
 		 * a ptracer.
 		 */
-		if (gs == 0 && base == 0xFF) {
-			printf("[OK]\tGS was reset as expected\n");
-		} else {
+		if (gs != *shared_scratch) {
 			nerrs++;
-			printf("[FAIL]\tGS=0x%lx, GSBASE=0x%lx (should be 0, 0xFF)\n", gs, base);
+			printf("[FAIL]\tGS changed to %lx\n", gs);
+
+			/*
+			 * On older kernels, poking a nonzero value into the
+			 * base would zero the selector.  On newer kernels,
+			 * this behavior has changed -- poking the base
+			 * changes only the base and, if FSGSBASE is not
+			 * available, this may not effect.
+			 */
+			if (gs == 0)
+				printf("\tNote: this is expected behavior on older kernels.\n");
+		} else {
+			printf("[OK]\tGS remained 0x%hx\n", *shared_scratch);
 		}
 	}