diff --git a/kernelci/kbuild.py b/kernelci/kbuild.py
index 66c2e3f4ec..a7b97767e9 100644
--- a/kernelci/kbuild.py
+++ b/kernelci/kbuild.py
@@ -217,10 +217,9 @@ def __init__(
                 self._dtbs_check = params["dtbs_check"]
             else:
                 self._dtbs_check = False
-            if params.get("kselftest") == "disable":
-                self._kselftest = False
-            else:
-                self._kselftest = True
+            self._kselftest = (
+                not self._dtbs_check and params.get("kselftest") != "disable"
+            )
             self._extra_targets = params.get("extra_targets", [])
             self._apijobname = jobname
             self._steps = []
@@ -277,9 +276,7 @@ def __init__(
             )
             self._full_artifacts = jsonobj["full_artifacts"]
             self._dtbs_check = jsonobj["dtbs_check"]
-            self._kselftest = jsonobj.get(
-                "kselftest", jsonobj.get("kfselftest")
-            )
+            self._kselftest = jsonobj["kselftest"]
             self._coverage = jsonobj.get("coverage", False)
             self._extra_targets = jsonobj.get("extra_targets", [])
             return
@@ -878,7 +875,6 @@ def _build_with_tuxmake(self):
         if not self._dtbs_check:
             self._fetch_firmware()
 
-        build_kselftest = not self._dtbs_check and self._kselftest
         kernel_build_dir = f"{self._workspace}/kernel_build"
 
         self.startjob("build_tuxmake")
@@ -900,7 +896,7 @@ def _build_with_tuxmake(self):
         cmd_parts = self._tuxmake_base(
             self._af_dir, defconfig, extra_defconfigs
         )
-        if build_kselftest:
+        if self._kselftest:
             cmd_parts.append(f"--build-dir={kernel_build_dir}")
 
         # Build targets depend on mode. kselftest is built in a separate
@@ -972,7 +968,7 @@ def _build_with_tuxmake(self):
 
         self.addcmd("cd ..")
 
-        if build_kselftest:
+        if self._kselftest:
             self._build_kselftest_tuxmake(
                 defconfig, extra_defconfigs, kernel_build_dir
             )
diff --git a/tests/test_kbuild.py b/tests/test_kbuild.py
index 0f2444cd64..599201922e 100644
--- a/tests/test_kbuild.py
+++ b/tests/test_kbuild.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ def _kbuild(tmp_path, compiler="clang-21", arch="x86_64"):
     kbuild._config_full = ""
     kbuild._backend = "tuxmake"
     kbuild._dtbs_check = True
+    kbuild._kselftest = False
     kbuild._steps = []
     kbuild._artifacts = []
     kbuild._current_job = None
@@ -211,13 +212,59 @@ def test_no_kept_kernel_tree_without_kselftest(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
 
     def test_no_kselftest_build_for_dtbs_check(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         (kernel,) = _tuxmake_invocations(
-            tmp_path, monkeypatch, True, dtbs_check=True
+            tmp_path, monkeypatch, False, dtbs_check=True
         )
 
         assert "--build-dir" not in kernel
         assert kernel.split()[-1] == "dtbs_check"
 
 
+def _kbuild_from_params(monkeypatch, **params):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("KCI_API_TOKEN", "test-token")
+    params = {
+        "arch": "arm64",
+        "compiler": "gcc-14",
+        "defconfig": "defconfig",
+        "fragments": [],
+        **params,
+    }
+    return KBuild(
+        node={"artifacts": {"tarball": "https://storage.test/linux.tar.gz"}},
+        jobname="kbuild-gcc-14-arm64",
+        params=params,
+        apiconfig="url: https://api.test\n",
+    )
+
+
+def _kbuild_from_json(tmp_path, monkeypatch, **params):
+    kbuild = _kbuild_from_params(monkeypatch, **params)
+    kbuild._storage_config = None
+    kbuild._fragments_dir = None
+    path = tmp_path / "kbuild.json"
+    kbuild.serialize(str(path))
+    return KBuild.from_json(str(path))
+
+
+class TestKselftestFlag:
+    def test_enabled_by_default(self, monkeypatch):
+        assert _kbuild_from_params(monkeypatch)._kselftest is True
+
+    def test_disabled_by_param(self, monkeypatch):
+        kbuild = _kbuild_from_params(monkeypatch, kselftest="disable")
+        assert kbuild._kselftest is False
+
+    def test_disabled_for_dtbs_check(self, monkeypatch):
+        kbuild = _kbuild_from_params(monkeypatch, dtbs_check=True)
+        assert kbuild._kselftest is False
+
+    def test_reload_keeps_enabled(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        assert _kbuild_from_json(tmp_path, monkeypatch)._kselftest is True
+
+    def test_reload_keeps_disabled_for_dtbs_check(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        kbuild = _kbuild_from_json(tmp_path, monkeypatch, dtbs_check=True)
+        assert kbuild._kselftest is False
+
+
 class FakeStorage:
     def __init__(self):
         self.single_uploads = []