diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/ftracetest b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/ftracetest
index a8631d978725..32e6211e1c6e 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/ftracetest
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/ftracetest
@@ -150,11 +150,16 @@ XFAILED_CASES=
 UNDEFINED_CASES=
 TOTAL_RESULT=0
 
+INSTANCE=
 CASENO=0
 testcase() { # testfile
   CASENO=$((CASENO+1))
   desc=`grep "^#[ \t]*description:" $1 | cut -f2 -d:`
-  prlog -n "[$CASENO]$desc"
+  prlog -n "[$CASENO]$INSTANCE$desc"
+}
+
+test_on_instance() { # testfile
+  grep -q "^#[ \t]*flags:.*instance" $1
 }
 
 eval_result() { # sigval
@@ -271,6 +276,17 @@ for t in $TEST_CASES; do
   run_test $t
 done
 
+# Test on instance loop
+INSTANCE=" (instance) "
+for t in $TEST_CASES; do
+  test_on_instance $t || continue
+  SAVED_TRACING_DIR=$TRACING_DIR
+  export TRACING_DIR=`mktemp -d $TRACING_DIR/instances/ftracetest.XXXXXX`
+  run_test $t
+  rmdir $TRACING_DIR
+  TRACING_DIR=$SAVED_TRACING_DIR
+done
+
 prlog ""
 prlog "# of passed: " `echo $PASSED_CASES | wc -w`
 prlog "# of failed: " `echo $FAILED_CASES | wc -w`