diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/bpf_iter.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/bpf_iter.c
index adc38a6bae14b9bb921b53374f7694b9ba466937..66da1450063573b0a4d34ff1b87d320846e9ded5 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/bpf_iter.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/bpf_iter.c
@@ -674,14 +674,13 @@ static void test_bpf_percpu_hash_map(void)
 	char buf[64];
 	void *val;
 
-	val = malloc(8 * bpf_num_possible_cpus());
-
 	skel = bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_hash_map__open();
 	if (CHECK(!skel, "bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_hash_map__open",
 		  "skeleton open failed\n"))
 		return;
 
 	skel->rodata->num_cpus = bpf_num_possible_cpus();
+	val = malloc(8 * bpf_num_possible_cpus());
 
 	err = bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_hash_map__load(skel);
 	if (CHECK(!skel, "bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_hash_map__load",
@@ -746,6 +745,7 @@ static void test_bpf_percpu_hash_map(void)
 	bpf_link__destroy(link);
 out:
 	bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_hash_map__destroy(skel);
+	free(val);
 }
 
 static void test_bpf_array_map(void)
@@ -846,14 +846,13 @@ static void test_bpf_percpu_array_map(void)
 	void *val;
 	int len;
 
-	val = malloc(8 * bpf_num_possible_cpus());
-
 	skel = bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_array_map__open();
 	if (CHECK(!skel, "bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_array_map__open",
 		  "skeleton open failed\n"))
 		return;
 
 	skel->rodata->num_cpus = bpf_num_possible_cpus();
+	val = malloc(8 * bpf_num_possible_cpus());
 
 	err = bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_array_map__load(skel);
 	if (CHECK(!skel, "bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_array_map__load",
@@ -909,6 +908,7 @@ static void test_bpf_percpu_array_map(void)
 	bpf_link__destroy(link);
 out:
 	bpf_iter_bpf_percpu_array_map__destroy(skel);
+	free(val);
 }
 
 static void test_bpf_sk_storage_map(void)