diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/devlink_lib.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/devlink_lib.sh
index cf4e5daf767b6e63bdc754f58f7e1fd3cf054c56..9c12c4fd3afc942699dc17f87ef0a6fd5a6ac9b9 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/devlink_lib.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/devlink_lib.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Defines
 
 if [[ ! -v DEVLINK_DEV ]]; then
-	DEVLINK_DEV=$(devlink port show "${NETIFS[p1]}" -j \
+	DEVLINK_DEV=$(devlink port show "${NETIFS[p1]:-$NETIF_NO_CABLE}" -j \
 			     | jq -r '.port | keys[]' | cut -d/ -f-2)
 	if [ -z "$DEVLINK_DEV" ]; then
 		echo "SKIP: ${NETIFS[p1]} has no devlink device registered for it"