diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/Makefile b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/Makefile
index fe363be8e358..ec10ae24e4cf 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/Makefile
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 all:
 	@echo mk_build_dir="$(shell pwd)" > include.sh
 
-TEST_PROGS := run.sh
+TEST_PROGS := rds_run.sh
 
 TEST_FILES := \
 	include.sh \
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/README.txt b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/README.txt
index bac6f15a80d5..8aa41148b1b5 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/README.txt
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/README.txt
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ configs required for the RDMA transport.  The kernel may optionally be
 configured to omit the coverage report as well.
 
 USAGE:
-	run.sh [-d logdir] [-l packet_loss] [-c packet_corruption]
-	       [-u packet_duplicate] [-t timeout]
-	       [-T tcp|rdma|tcp,rdma]
+	rds_run.sh [-d logdir] [-l packet_loss] [-c packet_corruption]
+	           [-u packet_duplicate] [-t timeout]
+	           [-T tcp|rdma|tcp,rdma]
 
 OPTIONS:
 	-d	Log directory.  If set, logs will be stored in the
@@ -73,5 +73,5 @@ EXAMPLE:
         "export PYTHONPATH=tools/testing/selftests/net/; \
          export SUDO_USER=example_user; \
          export RDS_LOG_DIR=tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/rds_logs; \
-         tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/run.sh -T tcp,rdma"
+         tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/rds_run.sh -T tcp,rdma"
 
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config
index 3d62d0c750a8..97db7ecb892a 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-CONFIG_MODULES=n
 CONFIG_NET_NS=y
 CONFIG_NET_SCH_NETEM=y
 CONFIG_RDS=y
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config.sh
index be0668359a07..2df2226310ef 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config.sh
@@ -37,9 +37,6 @@ if [[ "$CONF_FILE" != "" ]]; then
 	FLAGS=(--file "$CONF_FILE")
 fi
 
-# no modules
-scripts/config "${FLAGS[@]}" --disable CONFIG_MODULES
-
 # enable RDS
 scripts/config "${FLAGS[@]}" --enable CONFIG_RDS
 scripts/config "${FLAGS[@]}" --enable CONFIG_RDS_TCP
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/run.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/rds_run.sh
similarity index 78%
rename from tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/run.sh
rename to tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/rds_run.sh
index 07af2f927a2a..cdf487ec97dc 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/run.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/rds_run.sh
@@ -93,42 +93,62 @@ check_gcov_conf()
 	fi
 }
 
+# Checks if a kconfig is enabled (set to =y or =m)
+# $1: kconfig symbol to check
+# $2: (optional) module name backing $1
+#     Ex: check_conf_enabled CONFIG_RDS_TCP rds_tcp
+#     Modules for configs set to  =m will be probed
+#     If omitted, only a built-in (=y) config is accepted.
+# Returns on success.  exits 4 on failure
 # Kselftest framework requirement - SKIP code is 4.
 check_conf_enabled() {
-	if ! grep -x "$1=y" "$kconfig" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-		echo "selftests: [SKIP] This test requires $1 enabled"
-		echo "Please run tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config.sh and rebuild the kernel"
-		exit 4
+	if grep -x "$1=y" "$kconfig" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+		return
 	fi
+	if [ -n "${2:-}" ] && grep -x "$1=m" "$kconfig" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+		probe_module "$2"
+		return
+	fi
+	echo "selftests: [SKIP] This test requires $1 enabled"
+	echo "Please run" \
+	     "tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config.sh and rebuild the kernel"
+	exit 4
 }
 
 check_rdma_conf_enabled() {
-	if ! grep -x "$1=y" "$kconfig" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-		echo "selftests: [SKIP] rdma transport requires $1 enabled"
-		echo "To enable, run " \
-		     "tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config.sh -r and rebuild"
+	if grep -x "$1=y" "$kconfig" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+		return
+	fi
+	if [ -n "${2:-}" ] && grep -x "$1=m" "$kconfig" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+		probe_module "$2"
+		return
+	fi
+	echo "selftests: [XFAIL] rdma transport requires $1 enabled"
+	echo "To enable, run" \
+	     "tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config.sh -r and rebuild"
+	exit 2
+}
+
+# Load the module backing a config that is built as a loadable module
+# (=m).  Built-in (=y) configs are already available and don't reach
+# here.  Exits with the SKIP code if a required module cannot be loaded.
+probe_module() {
+	if ! modprobe -q "$1"; then
+		echo "selftests: [SKIP] could not load required module $1"
 		exit 4
 	fi
 }
 
-check_conf_disabled() {
-	if grep -x "$1=y" "$kconfig" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-		echo "selftests: [SKIP] This test requires $1 disabled"
-		echo "Please run tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/config.sh and rebuild the kernel"
-		exit 4
-	fi
-}
 check_conf() {
-	check_conf_enabled CONFIG_NET_SCH_NETEM
-	check_conf_enabled CONFIG_VETH
+	check_conf_enabled CONFIG_NET_SCH_NETEM sch_netem
+	check_conf_enabled CONFIG_VETH veth
 	check_conf_enabled CONFIG_NET_NS
-	check_conf_enabled CONFIG_RDS_TCP
-	check_conf_enabled CONFIG_RDS
-	check_conf_disabled CONFIG_MODULES
+	check_conf_enabled CONFIG_RDS_TCP rds_tcp
+	check_conf_enabled CONFIG_RDS rds
 }
 
 # Check kernel config and host environment for RDS-RDMA support.
-# Exits with SKIP (4) if the user requested rdma but prerequisites
+# Exits with XFAIL (2) if the user requested rdma but prerequisites
 # are not met.
 check_rdma_conf()
 {
@@ -139,13 +159,13 @@ check_rdma_conf()
 
 	# Kconfig will enforce CONFIG_INFINIBAND_* as dependencies
 	# of CONFIG_RDMA_RXE
-	check_rdma_conf_enabled CONFIG_RDMA_RXE
-	check_rdma_conf_enabled CONFIG_RDS_RDMA
+	check_rdma_conf_enabled CONFIG_RDMA_RXE rdma_rxe
+	check_rdma_conf_enabled CONFIG_RDS_RDMA rds_rdma
 
 	if ! which rdma > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-		echo "selftests: [SKIP] rdma transport requires the 'rdma'" \
-		      " tool (iproute2)"
-		exit 4
+		echo "selftests: [XFAIL] rdma transport requires the 'rdma'" \
+		      "tool (iproute2)"
+		exit 2
 	fi
 }
 
@@ -209,8 +229,9 @@ while getopts "d:l:c:u:t:T:" opt; do
       TRANSPORT=${OPTARG}
       ;;
     :)
-      echo "USAGE: run.sh [-d logdir] [-l packet_loss] [-c packet_corruption]" \
-           "[-u packet_duplicate] [-t timeout] [-T tcp|rdma|tcp,rdma]"
+      echo "USAGE: rds_run.sh [-d logdir] [-l packet_loss]" \
+           "[-c packet_corruption] [-u packet_duplicate] [-t timeout]" \
+           "[-T tcp|rdma|tcp,rdma]"
       exit 1
       ;;
     ?)
@@ -224,7 +245,7 @@ done
 IFS=',' read -ra transports <<< "$TRANSPORT"
 for t in "${transports[@]}"; do
     if [ "$t" != "tcp" ] && [ "$t" != "rdma" ]; then
-        echo "run.sh: unknown transport '$t' (expected tcp or rdma)"
+        echo "rds_run.sh: unknown transport '$t' (expected tcp or rdma)"
         exit 1
     fi
 done
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/test.py b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/test.py
index 08f2a846a8ab..9e4df01cb0d4 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/test.py
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rds/test.py
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ rdma_addrs = [
 OP_FLAG_TCP     = 0x1
 OP_FLAG_RDMA    = 0x2
 
+# from include/uapi/linux/rds.h: SO_RDS_TRANSPORT pins a socket to a
+# specific RDS transport so connection setup cannot silently fall back
+# to another (e.g. loopback) transport.
+SOL_RDS          = 276
+SO_RDS_TRANSPORT = 8
+RDS_TRANS_TCP    = 2
+RDS_TRANS_IB     = 0
+
 signal_handler_label = ""
 
 tap_idx = 0
@@ -214,11 +222,21 @@ def snd_rcv_packets(env):
             netns_socket(netns_list[0], socket.AF_RDS, socket.SOCK_SEQPACKET),
             netns_socket(netns_list[1], socket.AF_RDS, socket.SOCK_SEQPACKET),
         ]
+
+        # Pin the sockets to the TCP transport so it doesn't fail over to a
+        # different transport during this test
+        for s in sockets:
+            s.setsockopt(SOL_RDS, SO_RDS_TRANSPORT, RDS_TRANS_TCP)
     elif flags & OP_FLAG_RDMA:
         sockets = [
             socket.socket(socket.AF_RDS, socket.SOCK_SEQPACKET),
             socket.socket(socket.AF_RDS, socket.SOCK_SEQPACKET),
         ]
+
+        # Pin the sockets to the RDMA transport so it doesn't fail over to a
+        # different transport during this test
+        for s in sockets:
+            s.setsockopt(SOL_RDS, SO_RDS_TRANSPORT, RDS_TRANS_IB)
     else:
         raise RuntimeError(f"Invalid transport flag sets no transports: {flags}")