diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh
index 58df57855bff3..4103ed7afcde3 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh
@@ -459,6 +459,20 @@ xfail_on_slow()
 	fi
 }
 
+xfail_on_veth()
+{
+	local dev=$1; shift
+	local kind
+
+	kind=$(ip -j -d link show dev $dev |
+			jq -r '.[].linkinfo.info_kind')
+	if [[ $kind = veth ]]; then
+		FAIL_TO_XFAIL=yes "$@"
+	else
+		"$@"
+	fi
+}
+
 log_test_result()
 {
 	local test_name=$1; shift
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/router_mpath_nh_lib.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/router_mpath_nh_lib.sh
index b2d2c6cecc01e..2903294d8bca0 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/router_mpath_nh_lib.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/router_mpath_nh_lib.sh
@@ -56,21 +56,12 @@ nh_stats_test_dispatch_swhw()
 	local group_id=$1; shift
 	local mz="$@"
 
-	local used
-
 	nh_stats_do_test "$what" "$nh1_id" "$nh2_id" "$group_id" \
 			 nh_stats_get "${mz[@]}"
 
-	used=$(ip -s -j -d nexthop show id $group_id |
-		   jq '.[].hw_stats.used')
-	kind=$(ip -j -d link show dev $rp11 |
-		   jq -r '.[].linkinfo.info_kind')
-	if [[ $used == true ]]; then
+	xfail_on_veth $rp11 \
 		nh_stats_do_test "HW $what" "$nh1_id" "$nh2_id" "$group_id" \
 				 nh_stats_get_hw "${mz[@]}"
-	elif [[ $kind == veth ]]; then
-		log_test_xfail "HW stats not offloaded on veth topology"
-	fi
 }
 
 nh_stats_test_dispatch()
@@ -83,7 +74,6 @@ nh_stats_test_dispatch()
 	local mz="$@"
 
 	local enabled
-	local kind
 
 	if ! ip nexthop help 2>&1 | grep -q hw_stats; then
 		log_test_skip "NH stats test: ip doesn't support HW stats"