diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/sk_lookup.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/sk_lookup.c
index e1c5b7d1fb3a..5556796068f0 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/sk_lookup.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/sk_lookup.c
@@ -108,46 +108,6 @@ static int attach_reuseport(int sock_fd, struct bpf_program *reuseport_prog)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static socklen_t inetaddr_len(const struct sockaddr_storage *addr)
-{
-	return (addr->ss_family == AF_INET ? sizeof(struct sockaddr_in) :
-		addr->ss_family == AF_INET6 ? sizeof(struct sockaddr_in6) : 0);
-}
-
-static int make_socket(int sotype, const char *ip, int port,
-		       struct sockaddr_storage *addr)
-{
-	struct timeval timeo = { .tv_sec = IO_TIMEOUT_SEC };
-	int err, family, fd;
-
-	family = is_ipv6(ip) ? AF_INET6 : AF_INET;
-	err = make_sockaddr(family, ip, port, addr, NULL);
-	if (CHECK(err, "make_address", "failed\n"))
-		return -1;
-
-	fd = socket(addr->ss_family, sotype, 0);
-	if (CHECK(fd < 0, "socket", "failed\n")) {
-		log_err("failed to make socket");
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	err = setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDTIMEO, &timeo, sizeof(timeo));
-	if (CHECK(err, "setsockopt(SO_SNDTIMEO)", "failed\n")) {
-		log_err("failed to set SNDTIMEO");
-		close(fd);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	err = setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVTIMEO, &timeo, sizeof(timeo));
-	if (CHECK(err, "setsockopt(SO_RCVTIMEO)", "failed\n")) {
-		log_err("failed to set RCVTIMEO");
-		close(fd);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	return fd;
-}
-
 static int setsockopts(int fd, void *opts)
 {
 	struct cb_opts *co = (struct cb_opts *)opts;
@@ -195,27 +155,6 @@ static int setsockopts(int fd, void *opts)
 	return err;
 }
 
-static int make_client(int sotype, const char *ip, int port)
-{
-	struct sockaddr_storage addr = {0};
-	int err, fd;
-
-	fd = make_socket(sotype, ip, port, &addr);
-	if (fd < 0)
-		return -1;
-
-	err = connect(fd, (void *)&addr, inetaddr_len(&addr));
-	if (CHECK(err, "make_client", "connect")) {
-		log_err("failed to connect client socket");
-		goto fail;
-	}
-
-	return fd;
-fail:
-	close(fd);
-	return -1;
-}
-
 static __u64 socket_cookie(int fd)
 {
 	__u64 cookie;
@@ -584,8 +523,13 @@ static void run_lookup_prog(const struct test *t)
 		.post_socket_cb = setsockopts,
 		.cb_opts	= &cb_opts,
 	};
+	struct network_helper_opts cli_opts = {
+		.timeout_ms = IO_TIMEOUT_SEC,
+	};
 	int server_fds[] = { [0 ... MAX_SERVERS - 1] = -1 };
 	int client_fd, reuse_conn_fd = -1;
+	struct sockaddr_storage addr = {};
+	socklen_t len = sizeof(addr);
 	struct bpf_link *lookup_link;
 	int i, err;
 
@@ -616,9 +560,6 @@ static void run_lookup_prog(const struct test *t)
 	 * BPF socket lookup.
 	 */
 	if (t->reuseport_has_conns) {
-		struct sockaddr_storage addr = {};
-		socklen_t len = sizeof(addr);
-
 		/* Add an extra socket to reuseport group */
 		reuse_conn_fd = start_server_str(family, t->sotype, t->listen_at.ip,
 						 t->listen_at.port, &srv_opts);
@@ -635,7 +576,9 @@ static void run_lookup_prog(const struct test *t)
 			goto close;
 	}
 
-	client_fd = make_client(t->sotype, t->connect_to.ip, t->connect_to.port);
+	if (make_sockaddr(family, t->connect_to.ip, t->connect_to.port, &addr, &len))
+		goto close;
+	client_fd = connect_to_addr(t->sotype, &addr, len, &cli_opts);
 	if (client_fd < 0)
 		goto close;
 
@@ -1263,10 +1206,14 @@ static void run_multi_prog_lookup(const struct test_multi_prog *t)
 		.post_socket_cb = setsockopts,
 		.cb_opts	= &cb_opts,
 	};
+	struct network_helper_opts cli_opts = {
+		.timeout_ms = IO_TIMEOUT_SEC,
+	};
 	struct sockaddr_storage dst = {};
 	int map_fd, server_fd, client_fd;
 	struct bpf_link *link1, *link2;
 	int prog_idx, done, err;
+	socklen_t len;
 
 	map_fd = bpf_map__fd(t->run_map);
 
@@ -1296,11 +1243,13 @@ static void run_multi_prog_lookup(const struct test_multi_prog *t)
 	if (err)
 		goto out_close_server;
 
-	client_fd = make_socket(SOCK_STREAM, EXT_IP4, EXT_PORT, &dst);
+	if (make_sockaddr(AF_INET, EXT_IP4, EXT_PORT, &dst, &len))
+		goto out_close_server;
+	client_fd = connect_to_addr(SOCK_STREAM, &dst, len, &cli_opts);
 	if (client_fd < 0)
 		goto out_close_server;
 
-	err = connect(client_fd, (void *)&dst, inetaddr_len(&dst));
+	err = 0;
 	if (CHECK(err && !t->expect_errno, "connect",
 		  "unexpected error %d\n", errno))
 		goto out_close_client;
