diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/pmu/ebb/cycles_with_mmcr2_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/pmu/ebb/cycles_with_mmcr2_test.c
index 4b45a2e70f62b..fc32187d483d7 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/pmu/ebb/cycles_with_mmcr2_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/pmu/ebb/cycles_with_mmcr2_test.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ int cycles_with_mmcr2(void)
 	expected[1] = MMCR2_EXPECTED_2;
 	i = 0;
 	bad_mmcr2 = false;
+	actual = 0;
 
 	/* Make sure we loop until we take at least one EBB */
 	while ((ebb_state.stats.ebb_count < 20 && !bad_mmcr2) ||