diff --git a/Tethering/tests/integration/base/android/net/EthernetTetheringTestBase.java b/Tethering/tests/integration/base/android/net/EthernetTetheringTestBase.java
index a9add20239..e311e805ae 100644
--- a/Tethering/tests/integration/base/android/net/EthernetTetheringTestBase.java
+++ b/Tethering/tests/integration/base/android/net/EthernetTetheringTestBase.java
@@ -165,13 +165,18 @@ public abstract class EthernetTetheringTestBase {
         mHandlerThread.start();
         mHandler = new Handler(mHandlerThread.getLooper());
 
-        mRunTests = runAsShell(NETWORK_SETTINGS, TETHER_PRIVILEGED, () ->
-                mTm.isTetheringSupported());
+        mRunTests = isEthernetTetheringSupported();
         assumeTrue(mRunTests);
 
         mTetheredInterfaceRequester = new TetheredInterfaceRequester(mHandler, mEm);
     }
 
+    private boolean isEthernetTetheringSupported() throws Exception {
+        if (mEm == null) return false;
+
+        return runAsShell(NETWORK_SETTINGS, TETHER_PRIVILEGED, () -> mTm.isTetheringSupported());
+    }
+
     protected void maybeStopTapPacketReader(final TapPacketReader tapPacketReader)
             throws Exception {
         if (tapPacketReader != null) {