diff --git a/arm/unittests.cfg b/arm/unittests.cfg
index 2bdad67d5693..974a5a9e4113 100644
--- a/arm/unittests.cfg
+++ b/arm/unittests.cfg
@@ -16,18 +16,21 @@
 file = selftest.flat
 smp = 2
 extra_params = -m 256 -append 'setup smp=2 mem=256'
+kvmtool_params = --mem 256 --params 'setup smp=2 mem=256'
 groups = selftest
 
 # Test vector setup and exception handling (kernel mode).
 [selftest-vectors-kernel]
 file = selftest.flat
 extra_params = -append 'vectors-kernel'
+kvmtool_params = --params 'vectors-kernel'
 groups = selftest
 
 # Test vector setup and exception handling (user mode).
 [selftest-vectors-user]
 file = selftest.flat
 extra_params = -append 'vectors-user'
+kvmtool_params = --params 'vectors-user'
 groups = selftest
 
 # Test SMP support
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@ groups = selftest
 file = selftest.flat
 smp = $MAX_SMP
 extra_params = -append 'smp'
+kvmtool_params = --params 'smp'
 groups = selftest
 
 # Test PCI emulation
@@ -47,66 +51,77 @@ groups = pci
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 extra_params = -append 'cycle-counter 0'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'cycle-counter 0'
 
 [pmu-event-introspection]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-event-introspection'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-event-introspection'
 
 [pmu-event-counter-config]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-event-counter-config'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-event-counter-config'
 
 [pmu-basic-event-count]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-basic-event-count'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-basic-event-count'
 
 [pmu-mem-access]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-mem-access'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-mem-access'
 
 [pmu-mem-access-reliability]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-mem-access-reliability'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-mem-access-reliability'
 
 [pmu-sw-incr]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-sw-incr'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-sw-incr'
 
 [pmu-chained-counters]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-chained-counters'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-chained-counters'
 
 [pmu-chained-sw-incr]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-chained-sw-incr'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-chained-sw-incr'
 
 [pmu-chain-promotion]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-chain-promotion'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-chain-promotion'
 
 [pmu-overflow-interrupt]
 file = pmu.flat
 groups = pmu
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'pmu-overflow-interrupt'
+kvmtool_params = --pmu --params 'pmu-overflow-interrupt'
 
 # Test PMU support (TCG) with -icount IPC=1
 #[pmu-tcg-icount-1]
@@ -127,48 +142,56 @@ extra_params = -append 'pmu-overflow-interrupt'
 file = gic.flat
 smp = $((($MAX_SMP < 8)?$MAX_SMP:8))
 extra_params = -machine gic-version=2 -append 'ipi'
+kvmtool_params = --irqchip=gicv2 --params 'ipi'
 groups = gic
 
 [gicv2-mmio]
 file = gic.flat
 smp = $((($MAX_SMP < 8)?$MAX_SMP:8))
 extra_params = -machine gic-version=2 -append 'mmio'
+kvmtool_params = --irqchip=gicv2 --params 'mmio'
 groups = gic
 
 [gicv2-mmio-up]
 file = gic.flat
 smp = 1
 extra_params = -machine gic-version=2 -append 'mmio'
+kvmtool_params = --irqchip=gicv2 --params 'mmio'
 groups = gic
 
 [gicv2-mmio-3p]
 file = gic.flat
 smp = $((($MAX_SMP < 3)?$MAX_SMP:3))
 extra_params = -machine gic-version=2 -append 'mmio'
+kvmtool_params = --irqchip=gicv2 --params 'mmio'
 groups = gic
 
 [gicv3-ipi]
 file = gic.flat
 smp = $MAX_SMP
 extra_params = -machine gic-version=3 -append 'ipi'
+kvmtool_params = --irqchip=gicv3 --params 'ipi'
 groups = gic
 
 [gicv2-active]
 file = gic.flat
 smp = $((($MAX_SMP < 8)?$MAX_SMP:8))
 extra_params = -machine gic-version=2 -append 'active'
+kvmtool_params = --irqchip=gicv2 --params 'active'
 groups = gic
 
 [gicv3-active]
 file = gic.flat
 smp = $MAX_SMP
 extra_params = -machine gic-version=3 -append 'active'
+kvmtool_params = --irqchip=gicv3 --params 'active'
 groups = gic
 
 [its-introspection]
 file = gic.flat
 smp = $MAX_SMP
 extra_params = -machine gic-version=3 -append 'its-introspection'
+kvmtool_params = --irqchip=gicv3-its --params 'its-introspection'
 groups = its
 arch = arm64
 
@@ -176,6 +199,7 @@ arch = arm64
 file = gic.flat
 smp = $MAX_SMP
 extra_params = -machine gic-version=3 -append 'its-trigger'
+kvmtool_params = --irqchip=gicv3-its --params 'its-trigger'
 groups = its
 arch = arm64
 
@@ -232,6 +256,7 @@ groups = cache
 file = debug.flat
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'bp'
+kvmtool_params = --params 'bp'
 groups = debug
 
 [debug-bp-migration]
@@ -244,6 +269,7 @@ groups = debug migration
 file = debug.flat
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'wp'
+kvmtool_params = --params 'wp'
 groups = debug
 
 [debug-wp-migration]
@@ -256,6 +282,7 @@ groups = debug migration
 file = debug.flat
 arch = arm64
 extra_params = -append 'ss'
+kvmtool_params = --params 'ss'
 groups = debug
 
 [debug-sstep-migration]
diff --git a/docs/unittests.txt b/docs/unittests.txt
index 3e1a9e563016..ebb6994cab77 100644
--- a/docs/unittests.txt
+++ b/docs/unittests.txt
@@ -69,6 +69,14 @@ extra_params
 Alias for 'qemu_params', supported for compatibility purposes. Use
 'qemu_params' for new tests.
 
+kvmtool_params
+--------------
+Extra parameters supplied to the kvmtool process. Works similarly to
+qemu_params and extra_params, but uses kvmtool's syntax for command line
+arguments. The example for qemu_params, applied to kvmtool, would be:
+
+kvmtool_params = --mem 256 --params 'smp=2'
+
 groups
 ------
 groups = <group_name1> <group_name2> ...
diff --git a/scripts/common.bash b/scripts/common.bash
index 1b5e0d667841..f54ffbd7a87b 100644
--- a/scripts/common.bash
+++ b/scripts/common.bash
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ function for_each_unittest()
 			qemu_opts=$(parse_opts ${BASH_REMATCH[2]}$'\n' $fd)
 		elif [[ $line =~ ^(extra_params|qemu_params)\ *=\ *(.*)$ ]]; then
 			qemu_opts=${BASH_REMATCH[2]}
+		elif [[ $line =~ ^kvmtool_params\ *=\ *'"""'(.*)$ ]]; then
+			kvmtool_opts=$(parse_opts ${BASH_REMATCH[1]}$'\n' $fd)
+		elif [[ $line =~ ^kvmtool_params\ *=\ *(.*)$ ]]; then
+			kvmtool_opts=${BASH_REMATCH[1]}
 		elif [[ $line =~ ^groups\ *=\ *(.*)$ ]]; then
 			groups=${BASH_REMATCH[1]}
 		elif [[ $line =~ ^arch\ *=\ *(.*)$ ]]; then
