diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/nolibc/nolibc-test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/nolibc/nolibc-test.c
index 1fc4998f06bf..4aaafbfc2f97 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/nolibc/nolibc-test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/nolibc/nolibc-test.c
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ int expect_strzr(const char *expr, int llen)
 {
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	llen += printf(" = <%s> ", expr);
+	llen += printf(" = <%s> ", expr ? expr : "(null)");
 	if (expr) {
 		ret = 1;
 		result(llen, FAIL);
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ int expect_strnz(const char *expr, int llen)
 {
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	llen += printf(" = <%s> ", expr);
+	llen += printf(" = <%s> ", expr ? expr : "(null)");
 	if (!expr) {
 		ret = 1;
 		result(llen, FAIL);