diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/benchmarks/Makefile b/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/benchmarks/Makefile
index 1321922038d0..ca4483c238b9 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/benchmarks/Makefile
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/benchmarks/Makefile
@@ -18,4 +18,4 @@ $(OUTPUT)/context_switch: LDLIBS += -lpthread
 
 $(OUTPUT)/fork: LDLIBS += -lpthread
 
-$(OUTPUT)/exec_target: CFLAGS += -static -nostartfiles
+$(OUTPUT)/exec_target: CFLAGS += -nostartfiles
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/benchmarks/exec_target.c b/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/benchmarks/exec_target.c
index c14b0fc1edde..a6408d3f26cd 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/benchmarks/exec_target.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/benchmarks/exec_target.c
@@ -7,10 +7,22 @@
  */
 
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
-#include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/syscall.h>
 
 void _start(void)
 {
-	syscall(SYS_exit, 0);
+	asm volatile (
+		"li %%r0, %[sys_exit];"
+		"li %%r3, 0;"
+		"sc;"
+		:
+		: [sys_exit] "i" (SYS_exit)
+		/*
+		 * "sc" will clobber r0, r3-r13, cr0, ctr, xer and memory.
+		 * Even though sys_exit never returns, handle clobber
+		 * registers.
+		 */
+		: "r0", "r3", "r4", "r5", "r6", "r7", "r8", "r9", "r10",
+		  "r11", "r12", "r13", "cr0", "ctr", "xer", "memory"
+	);
 }