diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh
index 4103ed7afcde..658e4e7bf4b9 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/forwarding/lib.sh
@@ -95,27 +95,9 @@ source "$net_forwarding_dir/../lib.sh"
 # timeout in seconds
 slowwait()
 {
-	local timeout=$1; shift
+	local timeout_sec=$1; shift
 
-	local start_time="$(date -u +%s)"
-	while true
-	do
-		local out
-		out=$("$@")
-		local ret=$?
-		if ((!ret)); then
-			echo -n "$out"
-			return 0
-		fi
-
-		local current_time="$(date -u +%s)"
-		if ((current_time - start_time > timeout)); then
-			echo -n "$out"
-			return 1
-		fi
-
-		sleep 0.1
-	done
+	loopy_wait "sleep 0.1" "$((timeout_sec * 1000))" "$@"
 }
 
 ##############################################################################
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/lib.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/lib.sh
index b7f7b8695165..c868c0aec121 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/lib.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/lib.sh
@@ -58,9 +58,10 @@ ksft_exit_status_merge()
 		$ksft_xfail $ksft_pass $ksft_skip $ksft_fail
 }
 
-busywait()
+loopy_wait()
 {
-	local timeout=$1; shift
+	local sleep_cmd=$1; shift
+	local timeout_ms=$1; shift
 
 	local start_time="$(date -u +%s%3N)"
 	while true
@@ -74,13 +75,22 @@ busywait()
 		fi
 
 		local current_time="$(date -u +%s%3N)"
-		if ((current_time - start_time > timeout)); then
+		if ((current_time - start_time > timeout_ms)); then
 			echo -n "$out"
 			return 1
 		fi
+
+		$sleep_cmd
 	done
 }
 
+busywait()
+{
+	local timeout_ms=$1; shift
+
+	loopy_wait : "$timeout_ms" "$@"
+}
+
 cleanup_ns()
 {
 	local ns=""