diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c b/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
index 7946878195b7..485ff75ab880 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/builtin-test.c
@@ -765,10 +765,21 @@ static struct test_suite **build_suites(void)
 	for (size_t i = 0, j = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(suites); i++, j = 0)	\
 		while ((suite = suites[i][j++]) != NULL)
 
-	for_each_suite(t)
+	for_each_suite(t) {
+		if (t->setup) {
+			int ret = t->setup(t);
+
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				errno = -ret;
+				return NULL;
+			}
+		}
 		num_suites++;
+	}
 
 	result = calloc(num_suites + 1, sizeof(struct test_suite *));
+	if (!result)
+		return NULL;
 
 	for (int pass = 1; pass <= 2; pass++) {
 		for_each_suite(t) {
@@ -831,6 +842,8 @@ int cmd_test(int argc, const char **argv)
 	argc = parse_options_subcommand(argc, argv, test_options, test_subcommands, test_usage, 0);
 	if (argc >= 1 && !strcmp(argv[0], "list")) {
 		suites = build_suites();
+		if (!suites)
+			return errno ? -errno : -ENOMEM;
 		ret = perf_test__list(stdout, suites, argc - 1, argv + 1);
 		free(suites);
 		return ret;
@@ -863,6 +876,8 @@ int cmd_test(int argc, const char **argv)
 	rlimit__bump_memlock();
 
 	suites = build_suites();
+	if (!suites)
+		return errno ? -errno : -ENOMEM;
 	ret = __cmd_test(suites, argc, argv, skiplist);
 	free(suites);
 	return ret;
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/tests.h b/tools/perf/tests/tests.h
index ee00518bf36f..9bcf1dbb0663 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/tests.h
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/tests.h
@@ -38,12 +38,14 @@ struct test_case {
 	const char *skip_reason;
 	test_fnptr run_case;
 	bool exclusive;
+	void *priv;
 };
 
 struct test_suite {
 	const char *desc;
 	struct test_case *test_cases;
 	void *priv;
+	int (*setup)(struct test_suite *suite);
 };
 
 #define DECLARE_SUITE(name) \