diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/watchdog/watchdog-test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/watchdog/watchdog-test.c
index 6983d05097e2..a74c9d739d07 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/watchdog/watchdog-test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/watchdog/watchdog-test.c
@@ -24,9 +24,11 @@ const char v = 'V';
 static void keep_alive(void)
 {
     int dummy;
+    int ret;
 
-    printf(".");
-    ioctl(fd, WDIOC_KEEPALIVE, &dummy);
+    ret = ioctl(fd, WDIOC_KEEPALIVE, &dummy);
+    if (!ret)
+        printf(".");
 }
 
 /*
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     int flags;
     unsigned int ping_rate = 1;
     int ret;
+    int i;
 
     setbuf(stdout, NULL);
 
@@ -61,31 +64,35 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	exit(-1);
     }
 
-    if (argc > 1) {
-	if (!strncasecmp(argv[1], "-d", 2)) {
-	    flags = WDIOS_DISABLECARD;
-	    ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETOPTIONS, &flags);
-	    printf("Watchdog card disabled.\n");
-	    goto end;
-	} else if (!strncasecmp(argv[1], "-e", 2)) {
-	    flags = WDIOS_ENABLECARD;
-	    ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETOPTIONS, &flags);
-	    printf("Watchdog card enabled.\n");
-	    goto end;
-	} else if (!strncasecmp(argv[1], "-t", 2) && argv[2]) {
-	    flags = atoi(argv[2]);
-	    ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETTIMEOUT, &flags);
-	    printf("Watchdog timeout set to %u seconds.\n", flags);
-	    goto end;
-	} else if (!strncasecmp(argv[1], "-p", 2) && argv[2]) {
-	    ping_rate = strtoul(argv[2], NULL, 0);
-	    printf("Watchdog ping rate set to %u seconds.\n", ping_rate);
-	} else {
-	    printf("-d to disable, -e to enable, -t <n> to set " \
-		"the timeout,\n-p <n> to set the ping rate, and \n");
-	    printf("run by itself to tick the card.\n");
-	    goto end;
-	}
+    for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
+        if (!strncasecmp(argv[i], "-d", 2)) {
+            flags = WDIOS_DISABLECARD;
+            ret = ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETOPTIONS, &flags);
+            if (!ret)
+                printf("Watchdog card disabled.\n");
+        } else if (!strncasecmp(argv[i], "-e", 2)) {
+            flags = WDIOS_ENABLECARD;
+            ret = ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETOPTIONS, &flags);
+            if (!ret)
+                printf("Watchdog card enabled.\n");
+        } else if (!strncasecmp(argv[i], "-t", 2) && argv[2]) {
+            flags = atoi(argv[i + 1]);
+            ret = ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETTIMEOUT, &flags);
+            if (!ret)
+                printf("Watchdog timeout set to %u seconds.\n", flags);
+            i++;
+        } else if (!strncasecmp(argv[i], "-p", 2) && argv[2]) {
+            ping_rate = strtoul(argv[i + 1], NULL, 0);
+            printf("Watchdog ping rate set to %u seconds.\n", ping_rate);
+            i++;
+        } else {
+            printf("-d to disable, -e to enable, -t <n> to set "
+                "the timeout,\n-p <n> to set the ping rate, and ");
+            printf("run by itself to tick the card.\n");
+            printf("Parameters are parsed left-to-right in real-time.\n");
+            printf("Example: %s -d -t 10 -p 5 -e\n", argv[0]);
+            goto end;
+        }
     }
 
     printf("Watchdog Ticking Away!\n");