diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/msg_zerocopy.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/msg_zerocopy.sh
index 825ffec..89c22f5 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/msg_zerocopy.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/msg_zerocopy.sh
@@ -70,23 +70,22 @@
 esac
 
 # Start of state changes: install cleanup handler
-save_sysctl_mem="$(sysctl -n ${path_sysctl_mem})"
 
 cleanup() {
 	ip netns del "${NS2}"
 	ip netns del "${NS1}"
-	sysctl -w -q "${path_sysctl_mem}=${save_sysctl_mem}"
 }
 
 trap cleanup EXIT
 
-# Configure system settings
-sysctl -w -q "${path_sysctl_mem}=1000000"
-
 # Create virtual ethernet pair between network namespaces
 ip netns add "${NS1}"
 ip netns add "${NS2}"
 
+# Configure system settings
+ip netns exec "${NS1}" sysctl -w -q "${path_sysctl_mem}=1000000"
+ip netns exec "${NS2}" sysctl -w -q "${path_sysctl_mem}=1000000"
+
 ip link add "${DEV}" mtu "${DEV_MTU}" netns "${NS1}" type veth \
   peer name "${DEV}" mtu "${DEV_MTU}" netns "${NS2}"