diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/event-enable.tc b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/event-enable.tc
index 87eb9d6dd4ca0e376faaa4eea161026417b2971f..283b45ecb199d54f819efcaa6e6a5973f7622744 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/event-enable.tc
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/event-enable.tc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # description: event tracing - enable/disable with event level files
+# flags: instance
 
 do_reset() {
     echo > set_event
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/event-pid.tc b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/event-pid.tc
index d4ab27b522f8acdd941e6a65d89a2ace64c1f3a7..96c1a95be4f798f88838ae8882b87d89037707b2 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/event-pid.tc
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/event-pid.tc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # description: event tracing - restricts events based on pid
+# flags: instance
 
 do_reset() {
     echo > set_event
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/subsystem-enable.tc b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/subsystem-enable.tc
index ced27ef0638f2d3f21cd3a4fc436ebdd7bc8b259..b8fe2e5b9e674ff95023c14c30401440d6153c5e 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/subsystem-enable.tc
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/event/subsystem-enable.tc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # description: event tracing - enable/disable with subsystem level files
+# flags: instance
 
 do_reset() {
     echo > set_event