diff --git a/tests/vm/Makefile.include b/tests/vm/Makefile.include
index ae91f5043e..588bc999cc 100644
--- a/tests/vm/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/vm/Makefile.include
@@ -84,10 +84,11 @@ vm-clean-all:
 
 $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img:	$(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/% \
 			$(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/basevm.py \
-			$(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/Makefile.include
+			$(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/Makefile.include \
+			check-venv
 	@mkdir -p $(IMAGES_DIR)
 	$(call quiet-command, \
-		$(PYTHON) $< \
+		$(TESTS_PYTHON) $< \
 		$(if $(V)$(DEBUG), --debug) \
 		$(if $(GENISOIMAGE),--genisoimage $(GENISOIMAGE)) \
 		$(if $(QEMU_LOCAL),--build-path $(BUILD_DIR)) \
@@ -101,9 +102,9 @@ $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img:	$(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/% \
 
 
 # Build in VM $(IMAGE)
-vm-build-%: $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img
+vm-build-%: $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img check-venv
 	$(call quiet-command, \
-		$(PYTHON) $(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/$* \
+		$(TESTS_PYTHON) $(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/$* \
 		$(if $(V)$(DEBUG), --debug) \
 		$(if $(DEBUG), --interactive) \
 		$(if $(J),--jobs $(J)) \
@@ -127,9 +128,9 @@ vm-boot-serial-%: $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img
 		-device virtio-net-pci,netdev=vnet \
 	|| true
 
-vm-boot-ssh-%: $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img
+vm-boot-ssh-%: $(IMAGES_DIR)/%.img check-venv
 	$(call quiet-command, \
-		$(PYTHON) $(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/$* \
+		$(TESTS_PYTHON) $(SRC_PATH)/tests/vm/$* \
 		$(if $(J),--jobs $(J)) \
 		$(if $(V)$(DEBUG), --debug) \
 		$(if $(QEMU_LOCAL),--build-path $(BUILD_DIR)) \
diff --git a/tests/vm/basevm.py b/tests/vm/basevm.py
index 254e11c932..d7d0413df3 100644
--- a/tests/vm/basevm.py
+++ b/tests/vm/basevm.py
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ import socket
 import logging
 import time
 import datetime
-sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..', '..', 'python'))
-from qemu.machine import QEMUMachine
-from qemu.utils import get_info_usernet_hostfwd_port, kvm_available
 import subprocess
 import hashlib
 import argparse
@@ -31,6 +28,9 @@ import multiprocessing
 import traceback
 import shlex
 
+from qemu.machine import QEMUMachine
+from qemu.utils import get_info_usernet_hostfwd_port, kvm_available
+
 SSH_KEY_FILE = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
                "..", "keys", "id_rsa")
 SSH_PUB_KEY_FILE = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),