diff --git a/tools/testing/vsock/Makefile b/tools/testing/vsock/Makefile
index 6e0b4e95e230..1ec0b3a67aa4 100644
--- a/tools/testing/vsock/Makefile
+++ b/tools/testing/vsock/Makefile
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
 all: test vsock_perf
 test: vsock_test vsock_diag_test vsock_uring_test
-vsock_test: vsock_test.o vsock_test_zerocopy.o timeout.o control.o util.o msg_zerocopy_common.o
-vsock_diag_test: vsock_diag_test.o timeout.o control.o util.o
-vsock_perf: vsock_perf.o msg_zerocopy_common.o
+vsock_test: vsock_test.o vsock_test_zerocopy.o timeout.o control.o util.o msg_zerocopy_common.o util_socket.o
+vsock_diag_test: vsock_diag_test.o timeout.o control.o util.o util_socket.o
+vsock_perf: vsock_perf.o msg_zerocopy_common.o util_socket.o
 
 vsock_uring_test: LDLIBS = -luring
-vsock_uring_test: control.o util.o vsock_uring_test.o timeout.o msg_zerocopy_common.o
+vsock_uring_test: control.o util.o vsock_uring_test.o timeout.o msg_zerocopy_common.o util_socket.o
 
 CFLAGS += -g -O2 -Werror -Wall -I. -I../../include -I../../../usr/include -Wno-pointer-sign -fno-strict-overflow -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -MMD -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_GNU_SOURCE
 .PHONY: all test clean
diff --git a/tools/testing/vsock/control.c b/tools/testing/vsock/control.c
index d2deb4b15b94..f1fd809ac9d5 100644
--- a/tools/testing/vsock/control.c
+++ b/tools/testing/vsock/control.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 #include "timeout.h"
 #include "control.h"
+#include "util_socket.h"
 
 static int control_fd = -1;
 
@@ -50,7 +51,6 @@ void control_init(const char *control_host,
 
 	for (ai = result; ai; ai = ai->ai_next) {
 		int fd;
-		int val = 1;
 
 		fd = socket(ai->ai_family, ai->ai_socktype, ai->ai_protocol);
 		if (fd < 0)
@@ -65,11 +65,9 @@ void control_init(const char *control_host,
 			break;
 		}
 
-		if (setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR,
-			       &val, sizeof(val)) < 0) {
-			perror("setsockopt");
+		if (!setsockopt_int_check(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, 1,
+				"setsockopt SO_REUSEADDR"))
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-		}
 
 		if (bind(fd, ai->ai_addr, ai->ai_addrlen) < 0)
 			goto next;
diff --git a/tools/testing/vsock/msg_zerocopy_common.c b/tools/testing/vsock/msg_zerocopy_common.c
index 5a4bdf7b5132..4edb1b6974c0 100644
--- a/tools/testing/vsock/msg_zerocopy_common.c
+++ b/tools/testing/vsock/msg_zerocopy_common.c
@@ -13,15 +13,13 @@
 #include <linux/errqueue.h>
 
 #include "msg_zerocopy_common.h"
+#include "util_socket.h"
 
 void enable_so_zerocopy(int fd)
 {
-	int val = 1;
-
-	if (setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_ZEROCOPY, &val, sizeof(val))) {
-		perror("setsockopt");
+	if (!setsockopt_int_check(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_ZEROCOPY, 1,
+			"setsockopt SO_ZEROCOPY"))
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-	}
 }
 
 void vsock_recv_completion(int fd, const bool *zerocopied)
diff --git a/tools/testing/vsock/util_socket.c b/tools/testing/vsock/util_socket.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e791da160624
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/testing/vsock/util_socket.c
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+/*
+ * Socket utility functions.
+ *
+ * Copyright IBM Corp. 2024
+ */
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include "util_socket.h"
+
+/* Set "unsigned long long" socket option and check that it's indeed set */
+bool setsockopt_ull_check(int fd, int level, int optname,
+	unsigned long long val, char const *errmsg)
+{
+	unsigned long long chkval;
+	socklen_t chklen;
+	int err;
+
+	err = setsockopt(fd, level, optname, &val, sizeof(val));
+	if (err) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "setsockopt err: %s (%d)\n",
+				strerror(errno), errno);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	chkval = ~val; /* just make storage != val */
+	chklen = sizeof(chkval);
+
+	err = getsockopt(fd, level, optname, &chkval, &chklen);
+	if (err) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "getsockopt err: %s (%d)\n",
+				strerror(errno), errno);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	if (chklen != sizeof(chkval)) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "size mismatch: set %zu got %d\n", sizeof(val),
+				chklen);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	if (chkval != val) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "value mismatch: set %llu got %llu\n", val,
+				chkval);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+	return true;
+fail:
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s  val %llu\n", errmsg, val);
+	return false;
+}
+
+/* Set "int" socket option and check that it's indeed set */
+bool setsockopt_int_check(int fd, int level, int optname, int val,
+		char const *errmsg)
+{
+	int chkval;
+	socklen_t chklen;
+	int err;
+
+	err = setsockopt(fd, level, optname, &val, sizeof(val));
+	if (err) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "setsockopt err: %s (%d)\n",
+				strerror(errno), errno);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	chkval = ~val; /* just make storage != val */
+	chklen = sizeof(chkval);
+
+	err = getsockopt(fd, level, optname, &chkval, &chklen);
+	if (err) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "getsockopt err: %s (%d)\n",
+				strerror(errno), errno);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	if (chklen != sizeof(chkval)) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "size mismatch: set %zu got %d\n", sizeof(val),
+				chklen);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	if (chkval != val) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "value mismatch: set %d got %d\n",
+				val, chkval);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+	return true;
+fail:
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s val %d\n", errmsg, val);
+	return false;
+}
+
+static void mem_invert(unsigned char *mem, size_t size)
+{
+	size_t i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < size; i++)
+		mem[i] = ~mem[i];
+}
+
+/* Set "timeval" socket option and check that it's indeed set */
+bool setsockopt_timeval_check(int fd, int level, int optname,
+		struct timeval val, char const *errmsg)
+{
+	struct timeval chkval;
+	socklen_t chklen;
+	int err;
+
+	err = setsockopt(fd, level, optname, &val, sizeof(val));
+	if (err) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "setsockopt err: %s (%d)\n",
+				strerror(errno), errno);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	 /* just make storage != val */
+	chkval = val;
+	mem_invert((unsigned char *) &chkval, sizeof(chkval));
+	chklen = sizeof(chkval);
+
+	err = getsockopt(fd, level, optname, &chkval, &chklen);
+	if (err) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "getsockopt err: %s (%d)\n",
+				strerror(errno), errno);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	if (chklen != sizeof(chkval)) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "size mismatch: set %zu got %d\n", sizeof(val),
+				chklen);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+
+	if (memcmp(&chkval, &val, sizeof(val)) != 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "value mismatch: set %ld:%ld got %ld:%ld\n",
+				val.tv_sec, val.tv_usec,
+				chkval.tv_sec, chkval.tv_usec);
+		goto fail;
+	}
+	return true;
+fail:
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s val %ld:%ld\n", errmsg, val.tv_sec, val.tv_usec);
+	return false;
+}
diff --git a/tools/testing/vsock/util_socket.h b/tools/testing/vsock/util_socket.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..38cf3decb15c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/testing/vsock/util_socket.h
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only */
+/*
+ * Socket utility functions.
+ *
+ * Copyright IBM Corp. 2024
+ */
+#ifndef UTIL_SOCKET_H
+#define UTIL_SOCKET_H
+
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
+bool setsockopt_ull_check(int fd, int level, int optname,
+		unsigned long long val, char const *errmsg);
+bool setsockopt_int_check(int fd, int level, int optname, int val,
+		char const *errmsg);
+bool setsockopt_timeval_check(int fd, int level, int optname,
+		struct timeval val, char const *errmsg);
+
+#endif /* UTIL_SOCKET_H */
diff --git a/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_perf.c b/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_perf.c
index 8e0a6c0770d3..b117e043b87b 100644
--- a/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_perf.c
+++ b/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_perf.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 
 #include "msg_zerocopy_common.h"
+#include "util_socket.h"
 
 #define DEFAULT_BUF_SIZE_BYTES	(128 * 1024)
 #define DEFAULT_TO_SEND_BYTES	(64 * 1024)
@@ -88,13 +89,16 @@ static unsigned long memparse(const char *ptr)
 
 static void vsock_increase_buf_size(int fd)
 {
-	if (setsockopt(fd, AF_VSOCK, SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_MAX_SIZE,
-		       &vsock_buf_bytes, sizeof(vsock_buf_bytes)))
-		error("setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_MAX_SIZE)");
+	if (!setsockopt_ull_check(fd, AF_VSOCK,
+			SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_MAX_SIZE, vsock_buf_bytes,
+			"setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_MAX_SIZE)"))
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+
+	if (!setsockopt_ull_check(fd, AF_VSOCK,
+			SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE, vsock_buf_bytes,
+			"setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE)"))
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
-	if (setsockopt(fd, AF_VSOCK, SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE,
-		       &vsock_buf_bytes, sizeof(vsock_buf_bytes)))
-		error("setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE)");
 }
 
 static int vsock_connect(unsigned int cid, unsigned int port)
@@ -183,10 +187,10 @@ static void run_receiver(int rcvlowat_bytes)
 
 	vsock_increase_buf_size(client_fd);
 
-	if (setsockopt(client_fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVLOWAT,
-		       &rcvlowat_bytes,
-		       sizeof(rcvlowat_bytes)))
-		error("setsockopt(SO_RCVLOWAT)");
+
+	if (!setsockopt_int_check(client_fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVLOWAT,
+			rcvlowat_bytes, "setsockopt(SO_RCVLOWAT)"))
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
 	data = malloc(buf_size_bytes);
 
diff --git a/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_test.c b/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_test.c
index c7af23332e57..3764dca1118e 100644
--- a/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/vsock/vsock_test.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "timeout.h"
 #include "control.h"
 #include "util.h"
+#include "util_socket.h"
 
 static void test_stream_connection_reset(const struct test_opts *opts)
 {
@@ -444,17 +445,14 @@ static void test_seqpacket_msg_bounds_server(const struct test_opts *opts)
 
 	sock_buf_size = SOCK_BUF_SIZE;
 
-	if (setsockopt(fd, AF_VSOCK, SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_MAX_SIZE,
-		       &sock_buf_size, sizeof(sock_buf_size))) {
-		perror("setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_MAX_SIZE)");
+	if (!setsockopt_ull_check(fd, AF_VSOCK, SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_MAX_SIZE,
+			sock_buf_size,
+			"setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_MAX_SIZE)"))
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-	}
 
-	if (setsockopt(fd, AF_VSOCK, SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE,
-		       &sock_buf_size, sizeof(sock_buf_size))) {
-		perror("setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE)");
+	if (!setsockopt_ull_check(fd, AF_VSOCK, SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE,
+		       sock_buf_size, "setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE)"))
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-	}
 
 	/* Ready to receive data. */
 	control_writeln("SRVREADY");
@@ -586,10 +584,9 @@ static void test_seqpacket_timeout_client(const struct test_opts *opts)
 	tv.tv_sec = RCVTIMEO_TIMEOUT_SEC;
 	tv.tv_usec = 0;
 
-	if (setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVTIMEO, (void *)&tv, sizeof(tv)) == -1) {
-		perror("setsockopt(SO_RCVTIMEO)");
+	if (!setsockopt_timeval_check(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVTIMEO, tv,
+			"setsockopt(SO_RCVTIMEO)"))
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-	}
 
 	read_enter_ns = current_nsec();
 
@@ -855,9 +852,8 @@ static void test_stream_poll_rcvlowat_client(const struct test_opts *opts)
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
-	if (setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVLOWAT,
-		       &lowat_val, sizeof(lowat_val))) {
-		perror("setsockopt(SO_RCVLOWAT)");
+	if (!setsockopt_int_check(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVLOWAT,
+		       lowat_val, "setsockopt(SO_RCVLOWAT)")) {
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
@@ -1383,11 +1379,9 @@ static void test_stream_credit_update_test(const struct test_opts *opts,
 	/* size_t can be < unsigned long long */
 	sock_buf_size = buf_size;
 
-	if (setsockopt(fd, AF_VSOCK, SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE,
-		       &sock_buf_size, sizeof(sock_buf_size))) {
-		perror("setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE)");
+	if (!setsockopt_ull_check(fd, AF_VSOCK, SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE,
+		       sock_buf_size, "setsockopt(SO_VM_SOCKETS_BUFFER_SIZE)"))
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-	}
 
 	if (low_rx_bytes_test) {
 		/* Set new SO_RCVLOWAT here. This enables sending credit
@@ -1396,9 +1390,8 @@ static void test_stream_credit_update_test(const struct test_opts *opts,
 		 */
 		recv_buf_size = 1 + VIRTIO_VSOCK_MAX_PKT_BUF_SIZE;
 
-		if (setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVLOWAT,
-			       &recv_buf_size, sizeof(recv_buf_size))) {
-			perror("setsockopt(SO_RCVLOWAT)");
+		if (!setsockopt_int_check(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVLOWAT,
+			       recv_buf_size, "setsockopt(SO_RCVLOWAT)")) {
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		}
 	}
@@ -1442,9 +1435,8 @@ static void test_stream_credit_update_test(const struct test_opts *opts,
 		recv_buf_size++;
 
 		/* Updating SO_RCVLOWAT will send credit update. */
-		if (setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVLOWAT,
-			       &recv_buf_size, sizeof(recv_buf_size))) {
-			perror("setsockopt(SO_RCVLOWAT)");
+		if (!setsockopt_int_check(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVLOWAT,
+			       recv_buf_size, "setsockopt(SO_RCVLOWAT)")) {
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		}
 	}
