diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh
index dfd827b7a9f9..7da783d6f453 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ NETIF_TYPE=${NETIF_TYPE:=veth}
 NETIF_CREATE=${NETIF_CREATE:=yes}
 MCD=${MCD:=smcrouted}
 MC_CLI=${MC_CLI:=smcroutectl}
+PING_COUNT=${PING_COUNT:=10}
 PING_TIMEOUT=${PING_TIMEOUT:=5}
 WAIT_TIMEOUT=${WAIT_TIMEOUT:=20}
 INTERFACE_TIMEOUT=${INTERFACE_TIMEOUT:=600}
@@ -1111,7 +1112,8 @@ ping_do()
 
 	vrf_name=$(master_name_get $if_name)
 	ip vrf exec $vrf_name \
-		$PING $args $dip -c 10 -i 0.1 -w $PING_TIMEOUT &> /dev/null
+		$PING $args $dip -c $PING_COUNT -i 0.1 \
+		-w $PING_TIMEOUT &> /dev/null
 }
 
 ping_test()
@@ -1132,7 +1134,8 @@ ping6_do()
 
 	vrf_name=$(master_name_get $if_name)
 	ip vrf exec $vrf_name \
-		$PING6 $args $dip -c 10 -i 0.1 -w $PING_TIMEOUT &> /dev/null
+		$PING6 $args $dip -c $PING_COUNT -i 0.1 \
+		-w $PING_TIMEOUT &> /dev/null
 }
 
 ping6_test()