diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_memcontrol.c b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_memcontrol.c
index 4da138d05acb..31d5c3f9b2b2 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_memcontrol.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_memcontrol.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "../kselftest.h"
 #include "cgroup_util.h"
 
+static bool has_localevents;
 static bool has_recursiveprot;
 
 /*
@@ -1200,6 +1201,7 @@ static int test_memcg_oom_group_leaf_events(const char *root)
 {
 	int ret = KSFT_FAIL;
 	char *parent, *child;
+	long parent_oom_events;
 
 	parent = cg_name(root, "memcg_test_0");
 	child = cg_name(root, "memcg_test_0/memcg_test_1");
@@ -1345,14 +1347,20 @@ static int test_memcg_oom_group_score_events(const char *root)
 	if (!cg_run(memcg, alloc_anon, (void *)MB(100)))
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	if (cg_read_key_long(memcg, "memory.events", "oom_kill ") != 3)
-		goto cleanup;
+	parent_oom_events = cg_read_key_long(
+			parent, "memory.events", "oom_kill ");
+	/*
+	 * If memory_localevents is not enabled (the default), the parent should
+	 * count OOM events in its children groups. Otherwise, it should not
+	 * have observed any events.
+	 */
+	if ((has_localevents && parent_oom_events == 0) ||
+	     parent_oom_events > 0)
+		ret = KSFT_PASS;
 
 	if (kill(safe_pid, SIGKILL))
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	ret = KSFT_PASS;
-
 cleanup:
 	if (memcg)
 		cg_destroy(memcg);
@@ -1361,7 +1369,6 @@ cleanup:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-
 #define T(x) { x, #x }
 struct memcg_test {
 	int (*fn)(const char *root);
@@ -1408,6 +1415,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		ksft_exit_skip("Failed to query cgroup mount option\n");
 	has_recursiveprot = proc_status;
 
+	proc_status = proc_mount_contains("memory_localevents");
+	if (proc_status < 0)
+		ksft_exit_skip("Failed to query cgroup mount option\n");
+	has_localevents = proc_status;
+
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(tests); i++) {
 		switch (tests[i].fn(root)) {
 		case KSFT_PASS: