diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_stress.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_stress.sh
index 109c044f715f..3c9c4554d5f6 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_stress.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/cgroup/test_stress.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
 
-./with_stress.sh -s subsys -s fork ${OUTPUT}/test_core
+./with_stress.sh -s subsys -s fork ${OUTPUT:-.}/test_core