diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/landlock/fs_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/landlock/fs_test.c
index 46b9effd53e4..1e2cffde02b5 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/landlock/fs_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/landlock/fs_test.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <libgen.h>
 #include <linux/landlock.h>
 #include <linux/magic.h>
 #include <sched.h>
@@ -4624,7 +4625,6 @@ FIXTURE(layout3_fs)
 {
 	bool has_created_dir;
 	bool has_created_file;
-	char *dir_path;
 	bool skip_test;
 };
 
@@ -4683,11 +4683,24 @@ FIXTURE_VARIANT_ADD(layout3_fs, hostfs) {
 	.cwd_fs_magic = HOSTFS_SUPER_MAGIC,
 };
 
+static char *dirname_alloc(const char *path)
+{
+	char *dup;
+
+	if (!path)
+		return NULL;
+
+	dup = strdup(path);
+	if (!dup)
+		return NULL;
+
+	return dirname(dup);
+}
+
 FIXTURE_SETUP(layout3_fs)
 {
 	struct stat statbuf;
-	const char *slash;
-	size_t dir_len;
+	char *dir_path = dirname_alloc(variant->file_path);
 
 	if (!supports_filesystem(variant->mnt.type) ||
 	    !cwd_matches_fs(variant->cwd_fs_magic)) {
@@ -4697,25 +4710,15 @@ FIXTURE_SETUP(layout3_fs)
 
 	_metadata->teardown_parent = true;
 
-	slash = strrchr(variant->file_path, '/');
-	ASSERT_NE(slash, NULL);
-	dir_len = (size_t)slash - (size_t)variant->file_path;
-	ASSERT_LT(0, dir_len);
-	self->dir_path = malloc(dir_len + 1);
-	self->dir_path[dir_len] = '\0';
-	strncpy(self->dir_path, variant->file_path, dir_len);
-
 	prepare_layout_opt(_metadata, &variant->mnt);
 
 	/* Creates directory when required. */
-	if (stat(self->dir_path, &statbuf)) {
+	if (stat(dir_path, &statbuf)) {
 		set_cap(_metadata, CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE);
-		EXPECT_EQ(0, mkdir(self->dir_path, 0700))
+		EXPECT_EQ(0, mkdir(dir_path, 0700))
 		{
 			TH_LOG("Failed to create directory \"%s\": %s",
-			       self->dir_path, strerror(errno));
-			free(self->dir_path);
-			self->dir_path = NULL;
+			       dir_path, strerror(errno));
 		}
 		self->has_created_dir = true;
 		clear_cap(_metadata, CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE);
@@ -4736,6 +4739,8 @@ FIXTURE_SETUP(layout3_fs)
 		self->has_created_file = true;
 		clear_cap(_metadata, CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE);
 	}
+
+	free(dir_path);
 }
 
 FIXTURE_TEARDOWN(layout3_fs)
@@ -4754,16 +4759,17 @@ FIXTURE_TEARDOWN(layout3_fs)
 	}
 
 	if (self->has_created_dir) {
+		char *dir_path = dirname_alloc(variant->file_path);
+
 		set_cap(_metadata, CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE);
 		/*
 		 * Don't check for error because the directory might already
 		 * have been removed (cf. release_inode test).
 		 */
-		rmdir(self->dir_path);
+		rmdir(dir_path);
 		clear_cap(_metadata, CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE);
+		free(dir_path);
 	}
-	free(self->dir_path);
-	self->dir_path = NULL;
 
 	cleanup_layout(_metadata);
 }
@@ -4830,7 +4836,10 @@ TEST_F_FORK(layout3_fs, tag_inode_dir_mnt)
 
 TEST_F_FORK(layout3_fs, tag_inode_dir_child)
 {
-	layer3_fs_tag_inode(_metadata, self, variant, self->dir_path);
+	char *dir_path = dirname_alloc(variant->file_path);
+
+	layer3_fs_tag_inode(_metadata, self, variant, dir_path);
+	free(dir_path);
 }
 
 TEST_F_FORK(layout3_fs, tag_inode_file)
@@ -4857,9 +4866,13 @@ TEST_F_FORK(layout3_fs, release_inodes)
 	if (self->has_created_file)
 		EXPECT_EQ(0, remove_path(variant->file_path));
 
-	if (self->has_created_dir)
+	if (self->has_created_dir) {
+		char *dir_path = dirname_alloc(variant->file_path);
+
 		/* Don't check for error because of cgroup specificities. */
-		remove_path(self->dir_path);
+		remove_path(dir_path);
+		free(dir_path);
+	}
 
 	ruleset_fd =
 		create_ruleset(_metadata, LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_READ_DIR, layer1);