diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/sgx/load.c b/tools/testing/selftests/sgx/load.c
index 9d43b75aaa55..f441ac34b4d4 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/sgx/load.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/sgx/load.c
@@ -45,19 +45,19 @@ static bool encl_map_bin(const char *path, struct encl *encl)
 
 	fd = open(path, O_RDONLY);
 	if (fd == -1)  {
-		perror("open()");
+		perror("enclave executable open()");
 		return false;
 	}
 
 	ret = stat(path, &sb);
 	if (ret) {
-		perror("stat()");
+		perror("enclave executable stat()");
 		goto err;
 	}
 
 	bin = mmap(NULL, sb.st_size, PROT_READ, MAP_PRIVATE, fd, 0);
 	if (bin == MAP_FAILED) {
-		perror("mmap()");
+		perror("enclave executable mmap()");
 		goto err;
 	}
 
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@ static bool encl_ioc_create(struct encl *encl)
 	ioc.src = (unsigned long)secs;
 	rc = ioctl(encl->fd, SGX_IOC_ENCLAVE_CREATE, &ioc);
 	if (rc) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "SGX_IOC_ENCLAVE_CREATE failed: errno=%d\n",
-			errno);
+		perror("SGX_IOC_ENCLAVE_CREATE failed");
 		munmap((void *)secs->base, encl->encl_size);
 		return false;
 	}
@@ -116,31 +115,72 @@ static bool encl_ioc_add_pages(struct encl *encl, struct encl_segment *seg)
 
 	rc = ioctl(encl->fd, SGX_IOC_ENCLAVE_ADD_PAGES, &ioc);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "SGX_IOC_ENCLAVE_ADD_PAGES failed: errno=%d.\n",
-			errno);
+		perror("SGX_IOC_ENCLAVE_ADD_PAGES failed");
 		return false;
 	}
 
 	return true;
 }
 
+
+
 bool encl_load(const char *path, struct encl *encl)
 {
+	const char device_path[] = "/dev/sgx_enclave";
 	Elf64_Phdr *phdr_tbl;
 	off_t src_offset;
 	Elf64_Ehdr *ehdr;
+	struct stat sb;
+	void *ptr;
 	int i, j;
 	int ret;
+	int fd = -1;
 
 	memset(encl, 0, sizeof(*encl));
 
-	ret = open("/dev/sgx_enclave", O_RDWR);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to open /dev/sgx_enclave\n");
+	fd = open(device_path, O_RDWR);
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		perror("Unable to open /dev/sgx_enclave");
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	encl->fd = ret;
+	ret = stat(device_path, &sb);
+	if (ret) {
+		perror("device file stat()");
+		goto err;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * This just checks if the /dev file has these permission
+	 * bits set.  It does not check that the current user is
+	 * the owner or in the owning group.
+	 */
+	if (!(sb.st_mode & (S_IXUSR | S_IXGRP | S_IXOTH))) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "no execute permissions on device file %s\n", device_path);
+		goto err;
+	}
+
+	ptr = mmap(NULL, PAGE_SIZE, PROT_READ, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
+	if (ptr == (void *)-1) {
+		perror("mmap for read");
+		goto err;
+	}
+	munmap(ptr, PAGE_SIZE);
+
+#define ERR_MSG \
+"mmap() succeeded for PROT_READ, but failed for PROT_EXEC.\n" \
+" Check that current user has execute permissions on %s and \n" \
+" that /dev does not have noexec set: mount | grep \"/dev .*noexec\"\n" \
+" If so, remount it executable: mount -o remount,exec /dev\n\n"
+
+	ptr = mmap(NULL, PAGE_SIZE, PROT_EXEC, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
+	if (ptr == (void *)-1) {
+		fprintf(stderr, ERR_MSG, device_path);
+		goto err;
+	}
+	munmap(ptr, PAGE_SIZE);
+
+	encl->fd = fd;
 
 	if (!encl_map_bin(path, encl))
 		goto err;
@@ -217,6 +257,8 @@ bool encl_load(const char *path, struct encl *encl)
 	return true;
 
 err:
+	if (fd != -1)
+		close(fd);
 	encl_delete(encl);
 	return false;
 }
@@ -229,7 +271,7 @@ static bool encl_map_area(struct encl *encl)
 	area = mmap(NULL, encl_size * 2, PROT_NONE,
 		    MAP_PRIVATE | MAP_ANONYMOUS, -1, 0);
 	if (area == MAP_FAILED) {
-		perror("mmap");
+		perror("reservation mmap()");
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -268,8 +310,7 @@ bool encl_build(struct encl *encl)
 	ioc.sigstruct = (uint64_t)&encl->sigstruct;
 	ret = ioctl(encl->fd, SGX_IOC_ENCLAVE_INIT, &ioc);
 	if (ret) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "SGX_IOC_ENCLAVE_INIT failed: errno=%d\n",
-			errno);
+		perror("SGX_IOC_ENCLAVE_INIT failed");
 		return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/sgx/main.c b/tools/testing/selftests/sgx/main.c
index 724cec700926..b117bb86a73f 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/sgx/main.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/sgx/main.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[], char *envp[])
 		addr = mmap((void *)encl.encl_base + seg->offset, seg->size,
 			    seg->prot, MAP_SHARED | MAP_FIXED, encl.fd, 0);
 		if (addr == MAP_FAILED) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "mmap() failed, errno=%d.\n", errno);
+			perror("mmap() segment failed");
 			exit(KSFT_FAIL);
 		}
 	}