diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_connect.c b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_connect.c
index ea4cb6c1bd5e..178d98d91fea 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_connect.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/mptcp/mptcp_connect.c
@@ -381,6 +381,9 @@ static int sock_connect_mptcp(const char * const remoteaddr,
 
 	hints.ai_family = pf;
 
+	/* Keep the resolved address alive for the whole execution: it is
+	 * used again when reconnecting, and will be released at exit time.
+	 */
 	xgetaddrinfo(remoteaddr, port, &hints, &addr);
 	for (a = addr; a; a = a->ai_next) {
 		sock = socket(a->ai_family, a->ai_socktype, proto);
@@ -421,7 +424,6 @@ static int sock_connect_mptcp(const char * const remoteaddr,
 		sock = -1;
 	}
 
-	freeaddrinfo(addr);
 	if (sock != -1)
 		SOCK_TEST_TCPULP(sock, proto);
 	return sock;