diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest.h b/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest.h
index 541bf192e30e..4eca3fd1292c 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest.h
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest.h
@@ -288,15 +288,17 @@ void ksft_test_result_code(int exit_code, const char *test_name,
 	}
 
 	/* Docs seem to call for double space if directive is absent */
-	if (!directive[0] && msg[0])
+	if (!directive[0] && msg)
 		directive = " #  ";
 
-	va_start(args, msg);
 	printf("%s %u %s%s", tap_code, ksft_test_num(), test_name, directive);
 	errno = saved_errno;
-	vprintf(msg, args);
+	if (msg) {
+		va_start(args, msg);
+		vprintf(msg, args);
+		va_end(args);
+	}
 	printf("\n");
-	va_end(args);
 }
 
 static inline int ksft_exit_pass(void)
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest_harness.h b/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest_harness.h
index 4fd735e48ee7..adb15cae79ab 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest_harness.h
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/kselftest_harness.h
@@ -1202,7 +1202,7 @@ void __run_test(struct __fixture_metadata *f,
 		diagnostic = "unknown";
 
 	ksft_test_result_code(t->exit_code, test_name,
-			      diagnostic ? "%s" : "", diagnostic);
+			      diagnostic ? "%s" : NULL, diagnostic);
 }
 
 static int test_harness_run(int argc, char **argv)