diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/ftrace/func_event_triggers.tc b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/ftrace/func_event_triggers.tc
index aa31368851c9..77dfb6b48186 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/ftrace/func_event_triggers.tc
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/ftrace/func_event_triggers.tc
@@ -72,6 +72,15 @@ run_enable_disable() {
     test_event_enabled $check_disable
 
     echo "schedule:${enable}_event:$EVENT" > set_ftrace_filter
+    if [ -d ../../instances ]; then # Check instances
+	cur=`cat set_ftrace_filter`
+	top=`cat ../../set_ftrace_filter`
+	if [ "$cur" = "$top" ]; then
+	    echo "This kernel is too old to support per instance filter"
+	    reset_ftrace_filter
+	    exit_unsupported
+	fi
+    fi
 
     echo " make sure it works 5 times"
 
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/ftrace/func_traceonoff_triggers.tc b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/ftrace/func_traceonoff_triggers.tc
index 1b0817bfa286..9cf385297c1a 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/ftrace/func_traceonoff_triggers.tc
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/ftrace/func_traceonoff_triggers.tc
@@ -75,6 +75,15 @@ fi
 echo '** SET TRACEOFF'
 
 echo "$func:traceoff" > set_ftrace_filter
+if [ -d ../../instances ]; then # Check instances
+    cur=`cat set_ftrace_filter`
+    top=`cat ../../set_ftrace_filter`
+    if [ "$cur" = "$top" ]; then
+	echo "This kernel is too old to support per instance filter"
+	reset_ftrace_filter
+	exit_unsupported
+    fi
+fi
 
 cnt=`grep schedule set_ftrace_filter | wc -l`
 if [ $cnt -ne 1 ]; then