diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_memcontrol.c b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_memcontrol.c
index 1e616a8c6a9c..f4f7c0aef702 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_memcontrol.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_memcontrol.c
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ static int alloc_anon_50M_check(const char *cgroup, void *arg)
 	int ret = -1;
 
 	buf = malloc(size);
+	if (buf == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "malloc() failed\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	for (ptr = buf; ptr < buf + size; ptr += PAGE_SIZE)
 		*ptr = 0;
 
@@ -211,6 +216,11 @@ static int alloc_anon_noexit(const char *cgroup, void *arg)
 	char *buf, *ptr;
 
 	buf = malloc(size);
+	if (buf == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "malloc() failed\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	for (ptr = buf; ptr < buf + size; ptr += PAGE_SIZE)
 		*ptr = 0;
 
@@ -778,6 +788,11 @@ static int alloc_anon_50M_check_swap(const char *cgroup, void *arg)
 	int ret = -1;
 
 	buf = malloc(size);
+	if (buf == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "malloc() failed\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	for (ptr = buf; ptr < buf + size; ptr += PAGE_SIZE)
 		*ptr = 0;