diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/arm64/mte/check_ksm_options.c b/tools/testing/selftests/arm64/mte/check_ksm_options.c
index 866f0929b664..4855b737d550 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/arm64/mte/check_ksm_options.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/arm64/mte/check_ksm_options.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -22,6 +23,20 @@
 
 static size_t page_sz;
 static unsigned long ksm_sysfs[5];
+static bool has_merge_across_nodes;
+
+static bool merge_across_nodes_available(void)
+{
+	const char *path = PATH_KSM "merge_across_nodes";
+
+	if (!access(path, R_OK | W_OK))
+		return true;
+	if (errno == ENOENT)
+		return false;
+
+	ksft_exit_skip("Unable to read and write %s: %s\n", path,
+		       strerror(errno));
+}
 
 static unsigned long read_sysfs(char *str)
 {
@@ -56,8 +71,10 @@ static void write_sysfs(char *str, unsigned long val)
 
 static void mte_ksm_setup(void)
 {
-	ksm_sysfs[0] = read_sysfs(PATH_KSM "merge_across_nodes");
-	write_sysfs(PATH_KSM "merge_across_nodes", 1);
+	if (has_merge_across_nodes) {
+		ksm_sysfs[0] = read_sysfs(PATH_KSM "merge_across_nodes");
+		write_sysfs(PATH_KSM "merge_across_nodes", 1);
+	}
 	ksm_sysfs[1] = read_sysfs(PATH_KSM "sleep_millisecs");
 	write_sysfs(PATH_KSM "sleep_millisecs", 0);
 	ksm_sysfs[2] = read_sysfs(PATH_KSM "run");
@@ -70,7 +87,8 @@ static void mte_ksm_setup(void)
 
 static void mte_ksm_restore(void)
 {
-	write_sysfs(PATH_KSM "merge_across_nodes", ksm_sysfs[0]);
+	if (has_merge_across_nodes)
+		write_sysfs(PATH_KSM "merge_across_nodes", ksm_sysfs[0]);
 	write_sysfs(PATH_KSM "sleep_millisecs", ksm_sysfs[1]);
 	write_sysfs(PATH_KSM "run", ksm_sysfs[2]);
 	write_sysfs(PATH_KSM "max_page_sharing", ksm_sysfs[3]);
@@ -137,6 +155,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	err = mte_default_setup();
 	if (err)
 		return err;
+
+	if (geteuid() != 0)
+		ksft_exit_skip("Please run the test as root\n");
+
+	has_merge_across_nodes = merge_across_nodes_available();
 	page_sz = getpagesize();
 	if (!page_sz) {
 		ksft_print_msg("ERR: Unable to get page size\n");