diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/test_bpffs.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/test_bpffs.c
index 214d9f4a94a5..ea933fd151c3 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/test_bpffs.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/test_bpffs.c
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <test_progs.h>
 
-#define TDIR "/sys/kernel/debug"
+/* TDIR must be in a location we can create a directory in. */
+#define TDIR "/tmp/test_bpffs_testdir"
 
 static int read_iter(char *file)
 {
@@ -43,8 +44,11 @@ static int fn(void)
 	if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "mount /"))
 		goto out;
 
-	err = umount(TDIR);
-	if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "umount " TDIR))
+	err =  mkdir(TDIR, 0777);
+	/* If the directory already exists we can carry on. It may be left over
+	 * from a previous run.
+	 */
+	if ((err && errno != EEXIST) && !ASSERT_OK(err, "mkdir " TDIR))
 		goto out;
 
 	err = mount("none", TDIR, "tmpfs", 0, NULL);
@@ -138,6 +142,7 @@ static int fn(void)
 	rmdir(TDIR "/fs1");
 	rmdir(TDIR "/fs2");
 	umount(TDIR);
+	rmdir(TDIR);
 	exit(err);
 }