diff --git a/tests/regression/apparmor/userns.c b/tests/regression/apparmor/userns.c
index bc2beb596..b10144752 100644
--- a/tests/regression/apparmor/userns.c
+++ b/tests/regression/apparmor/userns.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ int userns_setns(char *client, char *pipename)
 {
 	int userns, exit_status, ret;
 	char *parentpipe = NULL, *childpipe = NULL;
+	int parentpipefd;
 
 	if (get_pipes(pipename, &parentpipe, &childpipe) == -1) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "FAIL - failed to allocate pipes\n");
@@ -81,7 +82,14 @@ int userns_setns(char *client, char *pipename)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (read_from_pipe(parentpipe) == -1) { // wait for child to unshare
+	parentpipefd = open_read_pipe(parentpipe);
+	if (parentpipefd == -1) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "FAIL - couldn't open parent pipe\n");
+		ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (read_from_pipe(parentpipefd) == -1) { // wait for child to unshare
 		fprintf(stderr, "FAIL - parent could not read from pipe\n");
 		ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
 		goto out;
diff --git a/tests/regression/apparmor/userns.h b/tests/regression/apparmor/userns.h
index d31cda51c..b3bb699f3 100644
--- a/tests/regression/apparmor/userns.h
+++ b/tests/regression/apparmor/userns.h
@@ -15,16 +15,26 @@ int get_pipes(const char *pipename, char **parentpipe, char **childpipe)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int read_from_pipe(char *pipename)
+int open_read_pipe(char *pipename)
 {
-	int fd, ret;
+	int fd;
+	fd = open(pipename, O_RDONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
+	if (fd == -1) {
+		perror("FAIL - open read pipe");
+		return EXIT_FAILURE;
+	}
+	return fd;
+}
+
+int read_from_pipe(int fd)
+{
+	int ret;
 	char buf;
 	fd_set set;
 	struct timeval timeout;
 
-	fd = open(pipename, O_RDONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
 	if (fd == -1) {
-		perror("FAIL - open read pipe");
+		fprintf(stderr, "FAIL - invalid read fd\n");
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
@@ -59,7 +69,7 @@ int write_to_pipe(char *pipename)
 
 	fd = open(pipename, O_WRONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
 	if (fd == -1) {
-		perror("FAIL - open write pipe");
+		fprintf(stderr, "FAIL - open write pipe %s - %m\n", pipename);
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 	close(fd);
diff --git a/tests/regression/apparmor/userns_setns.c b/tests/regression/apparmor/userns_setns.c
index 64815e9b2..f85ed4071 100644
--- a/tests/regression/apparmor/userns_setns.c
+++ b/tests/regression/apparmor/userns_setns.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int ret;
 	char *pipename = "/tmp/userns_pipe";
 	char *parentpipe = NULL, *childpipe = NULL;
+	int childpipefd;
 
 	if (argc > 1)
 		pipename = argv[1];
@@ -26,6 +27,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (mkfifo(childpipe, 0666) == -1)
 		perror("FAIL - setns child mkfifo");
 
+	childpipefd = open_read_pipe(childpipe);
+	if (childpipefd == -1) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "FAIL - couldn't open child pipe\n");
+		ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	if (unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER) == -1) {
 		perror("FAIL - unshare");
 		ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
@@ -37,7 +45,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
 		goto out;
 	}
-	if (read_from_pipe(childpipe) == -1) { // wait for parent tell child can finish
+	if (read_from_pipe(childpipefd) == -1) { // wait for parent tell child can finish
 		fprintf(stderr, "FAIL - child could not read from pipe\n");
 		ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
 		goto out;