diff --git a/tests/vm/basevm.py b/tests/vm/basevm.py
index 5caf77d6b8..bdca6cb2fc 100755
--- a/tests/vm/basevm.py
+++ b/tests/vm/basevm.py
@@ -228,6 +228,8 @@ def parse_args(vmcls):
                       help="build image")
     parser.add_option("--build-qemu",
                       help="build QEMU from source in guest")
+    parser.add_option("--build-target",
+                      help="QEMU build target", default="check")
     parser.add_option("--interactive", "-I", action="store_true",
                       help="Interactively run command")
     parser.add_option("--snapshot", "-s", action="store_true",
@@ -255,6 +257,7 @@ def main(vmcls):
             cmd = [vm.BUILD_SCRIPT.format(
                    configure_opts = " ".join(argv),
                    jobs=args.jobs,
+                   target=args.build_target,
                    verbose = "V=1" if args.verbose else "")]
         else:
             cmd = argv
diff --git a/tests/vm/freebsd b/tests/vm/freebsd
index a85c866c30..1d64c31b7c 100755
--- a/tests/vm/freebsd
+++ b/tests/vm/freebsd
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class FreeBSDVM(basevm.BaseVM):
         cd $(mktemp -d /var/tmp/qemu-test.XXXXXX);
         tar -xf /dev/vtbd1;
         ./configure {configure_opts};
-        gmake --output-sync -j{jobs} check {verbose};
+        gmake --output-sync -j{jobs} {target} {verbose};
     """
 
     def build_image(self, img):
diff --git a/tests/vm/netbsd b/tests/vm/netbsd
index edea113bb5..a2c3d13af4 100755
--- a/tests/vm/netbsd
+++ b/tests/vm/netbsd
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class NetBSDVM(basevm.BaseVM):
         cd $(mktemp -d /var/tmp/qemu-test.XXXXXX);
         tar -xf /dev/rld1a;
         ./configure --python=python2.7 {configure_opts};
-        gmake --output-sync -j{jobs} check {verbose};
+        gmake --output-sync -j{jobs} {target} {verbose};
     """
 
     def build_image(self, img):
diff --git a/tests/vm/ubuntu.i386 b/tests/vm/ubuntu.i386
index 252e514859..a22d137e76 100755
--- a/tests/vm/ubuntu.i386
+++ b/tests/vm/ubuntu.i386
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class UbuntuX86VM(basevm.BaseVM):
         sudo chmod a+r /dev/vdb;
         tar -xf /dev/vdb;
         ./configure {configure_opts};
-        make --output-sync check -j{jobs} {verbose};
+        make --output-sync {target} -j{jobs} {verbose};
     """
 
     def _gen_cloud_init_iso(self):