diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/turbostat/defcolumns.py b/tools/testing/selftests/turbostat/defcolumns.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..70d3b7780311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/turbostat/defcolumns.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/bin/env python3
+
+import subprocess
+from shutil import which
+
+turbostat = which('turbostat')
+if turbostat is None:
+	print('Could not find turbostat binary')
+	exit(1)
+
+timeout = which('timeout')
+if timeout is None:
+	print('Could not find timeout binary')
+	exit(1)
+
+proc_turbostat = subprocess.run([turbostat, '--list'], capture_output = True)
+if proc_turbostat.returncode != 0:
+	print(f'turbostat failed with {proc_turbostat.returncode}')
+	exit(1)
+
+#
+# By default --list reports also "usec" and "Time_Of_Day_Seconds" columns
+# which are only visible when running with --debug.
+#
+expected_columns_debug = proc_turbostat.stdout.replace(b',', b'\t').strip()
+expected_columns = expected_columns_debug.replace(b'usec\t', b'').replace(b'Time_Of_Day_Seconds\t', b'').replace(b'X2APIC\t', b'').replace(b'APIC\t', b'')
+
+#
+# Run turbostat with no options for 10 seconds and send SIGINT
+#
+timeout_argv = [timeout, '--preserve-status', '-s', 'SIGINT', '-k', '3', '1s']
+turbostat_argv = [turbostat, '-i', '0.250']
+
+print(f'Running turbostat with {turbostat_argv=}... ', end = '', flush = True)
+proc_turbostat = subprocess.run(timeout_argv + turbostat_argv, capture_output = True)
+if proc_turbostat.returncode != 0:
+	print(f'turbostat failed with {proc_turbostat.returncode}')
+	exit(1)
+actual_columns = proc_turbostat.stdout.split(b'\n')[0]
+if expected_columns != actual_columns:
+	print(f'turbostat column check failed\n{expected_columns=}\n{actual_columns=}')
+	exit(1)
+print('OK')
+
+#
+# Same, but with --debug
+#
+turbostat_argv.append('--debug')
+
+print(f'Running turbostat with {turbostat_argv=}... ', end = '', flush = True)
+proc_turbostat = subprocess.run(timeout_argv + turbostat_argv, capture_output = True)
+if proc_turbostat.returncode != 0:
+	print(f'turbostat failed with {proc_turbostat.returncode}')
+	exit(1)
+actual_columns = proc_turbostat.stdout.split(b'\n')[0]
+if expected_columns_debug != actual_columns:
+	print(f'turbostat column check failed\n{expected_columns_debug=}\n{actual_columns=}')
+	exit(1)
+print('OK')