diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/cat_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/cat_test.c
index b79916069788..fa95433297c9 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/cat_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/cat_test.c
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ static int cat_test(struct resctrl_val_param *param, size_t span, unsigned long
 	char *resctrl_val = param->resctrl_val;
 	struct perf_event_read pe_read;
 	struct perf_event_attr pea;
+	cpu_set_t old_affinity;
 	unsigned char *buf;
 	char schemata[64];
 	int ret, i, pe_fd;
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ static int cat_test(struct resctrl_val_param *param, size_t span, unsigned long
 	bm_pid = getpid();
 
 	/* Taskset benchmark to specified cpu */
-	ret = taskset_benchmark(bm_pid, param->cpu_no);
+	ret = taskset_benchmark(bm_pid, param->cpu_no, &old_affinity);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
@@ -175,13 +176,15 @@ static int cat_test(struct resctrl_val_param *param, size_t span, unsigned long
 	ret = write_bm_pid_to_resctrl(bm_pid, param->ctrlgrp, param->mongrp,
 				      resctrl_val);
 	if (ret)
-		return ret;
+		goto reset_affinity;
 
 	perf_event_attr_initialize(&pea, PERF_COUNT_HW_CACHE_MISSES);
 	perf_event_initialize_read_format(&pe_read);
 	pe_fd = perf_open(&pea, bm_pid, param->cpu_no);
-	if (pe_fd < 0)
-		return pe_fd;
+	if (pe_fd < 0) {
+		ret = -1;
+		goto reset_affinity;
+	}
 
 	buf = alloc_buffer(span, 1);
 	if (!buf) {
@@ -220,6 +223,8 @@ static int cat_test(struct resctrl_val_param *param, size_t span, unsigned long
 	free(buf);
 pe_close:
 	close(pe_fd);
+reset_affinity:
+	taskset_restore(bm_pid, &old_affinity);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrl.h b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrl.h
index da1f1b508aee..da62f4cd5add 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrl.h
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrl.h
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ int umount_resctrlfs(void);
 int validate_bw_report_request(char *bw_report);
 bool validate_resctrl_feature_request(const char *resource, const char *feature);
 char *fgrep(FILE *inf, const char *str);
-int taskset_benchmark(pid_t bm_pid, int cpu_no);
+int taskset_benchmark(pid_t bm_pid, int cpu_no, cpu_set_t *old_affinity);
+int taskset_restore(pid_t bm_pid, cpu_set_t *old_affinity);
 int write_schemata(char *ctrlgrp, char *schemata, int cpu_no,
 		   char *resctrl_val);
 int write_bm_pid_to_resctrl(pid_t bm_pid, char *ctrlgrp, char *mongrp,
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrl_val.c b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrl_val.c
index d515850cc174..4aed974efa0f 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrl_val.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrl_val.c
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ int resctrl_val(const char * const *benchmark_cmd, struct resctrl_val_param *par
 	value.sival_ptr = (void *)benchmark_cmd;
 
 	/* Taskset benchmark to specified cpu */
-	ret = taskset_benchmark(bm_pid, param->cpu_no);
+	ret = taskset_benchmark(bm_pid, param->cpu_no, NULL);
 	if (ret)
 		goto out;
 
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrlfs.c b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrlfs.c
index dffe42e11c6c..97760fadcddf 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrlfs.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/resctrlfs.c
@@ -345,15 +345,25 @@ int get_mask_no_shareable(const char *cache_type, unsigned long *mask)
 
 /*
  * taskset_benchmark - Taskset PID (i.e. benchmark) to a specified cpu
- * @bm_pid:	PID that should be binded
- * @cpu_no:	CPU number at which the PID would be binded
+ * @bm_pid:		PID that should be binded
+ * @cpu_no:		CPU number at which the PID would be binded
+ * @old_affinity:	When not NULL, set to old CPU affinity
  *
  * Return: 0 on success, < 0 on error.
  */
-int taskset_benchmark(pid_t bm_pid, int cpu_no)
+int taskset_benchmark(pid_t bm_pid, int cpu_no, cpu_set_t *old_affinity)
 {
 	cpu_set_t my_set;
 
+	if (old_affinity) {
+		CPU_ZERO(old_affinity);
+		if (sched_getaffinity(bm_pid, sizeof(*old_affinity),
+				      old_affinity)) {
+			ksft_perror("Unable to read previous CPU affinity");
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
 	CPU_ZERO(&my_set);
 	CPU_SET(cpu_no, &my_set);
 
@@ -366,6 +376,23 @@ int taskset_benchmark(pid_t bm_pid, int cpu_no)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * taskset_restore - Taskset PID to the earlier CPU affinity
+ * @bm_pid:		PID that should be reset
+ * @old_affinity:	The old CPU affinity to restore
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success, < 0 on error.
+ */
+int taskset_restore(pid_t bm_pid, cpu_set_t *old_affinity)
+{
+	if (sched_setaffinity(bm_pid, sizeof(*old_affinity), old_affinity)) {
+		ksft_perror("Unable to restore taskset");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * create_grp - Create a group only if one doesn't exist
  * @grp_name:	Name of the group
