diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/pmtu.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/pmtu.sh
index 2e8972573d915ebf869a2bd03795811e949e34fa..694732e4b3448666ffe24f9e58050b2c2bda5a3a 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/pmtu.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/pmtu.sh
@@ -374,6 +374,16 @@ run_cmd() {
 	return $rc
 }
 
+run_cmd_bg() {
+	cmd="$*"
+
+	if [ "$VERBOSE" = "1" ]; then
+		printf "    COMMAND: %s &\n" "${cmd}"
+	fi
+
+	$cmd 2>&1 &
+}
+
 # Find the auto-generated name for this namespace
 nsname() {
 	eval echo \$NS_$1
@@ -670,10 +680,10 @@ setup_nettest_xfrm() {
 	[ ${1} -eq 6 ] && proto="-6" || proto=""
 	port=${2}
 
-	run_cmd ${ns_a} nettest ${proto} -q -D -s -x -p ${port} -t 5 &
+	run_cmd_bg "${ns_a}" nettest "${proto}" -q -D -s -x -p "${port}" -t 5
 	nettest_pids="${nettest_pids} $!"
 
-	run_cmd ${ns_b} nettest ${proto} -q -D -s -x -p ${port} -t 5 &
+	run_cmd_bg "${ns_b}" nettest "${proto}" -q -D -s -x -p "${port}" -t 5
 	nettest_pids="${nettest_pids} $!"
 }