diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/check b/tests/qemu-iotests/check
index f9c24b6753..922c5d1d3d 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/check
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/check
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ export CACHEMODE="writeback"
 export QEMU_IO_OPTIONS=""
 export QEMU_IO_OPTIONS_NO_FMT=""
 export CACHEMODE_IS_DEFAULT=true
-export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -machine accel=qtest"
 export VALGRIND_QEMU=
 export IMGKEYSECRET=
 export IMGOPTSSYNTAX=false
@@ -564,6 +563,18 @@ then
 fi
 export QEMU_PROG="$(type -p "$QEMU_PROG")"
 
+case "$QEMU_PROG" in
+    *qemu-system-arm|*qemu-system-aarch64)
+        export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -machine virt,accel=qtest"
+        ;;
+    *qemu-system-tricore)
+        export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -machine tricore_testboard,accel=qtest"
+        ;;
+    *)
+        export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -machine accel=qtest"
+        ;;
+esac
+
 if [ -z "$QEMU_IMG_PROG" ]; then
     if [ -x "$build_iotests/qemu-img" ]; then
         export QEMU_IMG_PROG="$build_iotests/qemu-img"