diff --git a/testing/ostest/CMakeLists.txt b/testing/ostest/CMakeLists.txt
index 74103db4118..180d7090a7b 100644
--- a/testing/ostest/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/testing/ostest/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -161,7 +161,10 @@ if(CONFIG_TESTING_OSTEST)
     list(APPEND SRCS nxevent.c)
   endif()
 
-  if(CONFIG_ARCH_HAVE_PERF_EVENTS)
+  # perf_gettime() and perf_getfreq() live in the kernel and are not system
+  # calls, so only a flat build can reach them from here.
+
+  if(CONFIG_ARCH_HAVE_PERF_EVENTS AND CONFIG_BUILD_FLAT)
     list(APPEND SRCS perf_gettime.c)
   endif()
 
diff --git a/testing/ostest/Makefile b/testing/ostest/Makefile
index f443ecb0b39..4919a6204f9 100644
--- a/testing/ostest/Makefile
+++ b/testing/ostest/Makefile
@@ -164,9 +164,14 @@ CSRCS += nxevent.c
 endif
 endif
 
+# perf_gettime() and perf_getfreq() live in the kernel and are not system
+# calls, so only a flat build can reach them from here.
+
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_ARCH_HAVE_PERF_EVENTS),y)
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_BUILD_FLAT),y)
 CSRCS += perf_gettime.c
 endif
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_BUILD_FLAT),y)
 CSRCS += wdog.c spinlock.c
diff --git a/testing/ostest/ostest.h b/testing/ostest/ostest.h
index 5e01626c0e2..2be54de5a68 100644
--- a/testing/ostest/ostest.h
+++ b/testing/ostest/ostest.h
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ void spinlock_test(void);
 
 /* perf_gettime.c ***********************************************************/
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_HAVE_PERF_EVENTS
+#if defined(CONFIG_ARCH_HAVE_PERF_EVENTS) && defined(CONFIG_BUILD_FLAT)
 void perf_gettime_test(void);
 #endif
 
diff --git a/testing/ostest/ostest_main.c b/testing/ostest/ostest_main.c
index 92224701f9b..964771d907c 100644
--- a/testing/ostest/ostest_main.c
+++ b/testing/ostest/ostest_main.c
@@ -656,7 +656,8 @@ static int user_main(int argc, char *argv[])
       check_test_memory_usage();
 #endif
 
-#if defined(CONFIG_ARCH_PERF_EVENTS) && !defined(CONFIG_ARCH_PERF_EVENTS_USER_ACCESS)
+#if defined(CONFIG_ARCH_PERF_EVENTS) && \
+    !defined(CONFIG_ARCH_PERF_EVENTS_USER_ACCESS) && defined(CONFIG_BUILD_FLAT)
       /* Verify performance event time counter */
 
       printf("\nuser_main: performance event time counter test\n");