diff --git a/tests/hwsim/vm/parallel-vm.py b/tests/hwsim/vm/parallel-vm.py
index a1e253c45..4ab2eede6 100755
--- a/tests/hwsim/vm/parallel-vm.py
+++ b/tests/hwsim/vm/parallel-vm.py
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ def main():
     vm = {}
     for i in range(0, num_servers):
         print("\rStarting virtual machine {}/{}".format(i + 1, num_servers)),
-        cmd = ['./vm-run.sh', '--timestamp', str(timestamp),
+        cmd = ['./vm-run.sh', '--delay', str(i), '--timestamp', str(timestamp),
                '--ext', 'srv.%d' % (i + 1),
                '-i'] + codecov_args + extra_args
         vm[i] = {}
diff --git a/tests/hwsim/vm/vm-run.sh b/tests/hwsim/vm/vm-run.sh
index e6d99d354..77703bf58 100755
--- a/tests/hwsim/vm/vm-run.sh
+++ b/tests/hwsim/vm/vm-run.sh
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ TIMESTAMP=$(date +%s)
 DATE=$TIMESTAMP
 CODECOV=no
 TIMEWARP=0
+DELAY=0
 CODECOV_DIR=
 while [ "$1" != "" ]; do
 	case $1 in
@@ -68,6 +69,10 @@ while [ "$1" != "" ]; do
 		--timewrap ) shift
 			TIMEWARP=1
 			;;
+	        --delay ) shift
+			DELAY=$1
+			shift
+			;;
 		* )
 			RUN_TEST_ARGS="$RUN_TEST_ARGS$1 "
 			shift
@@ -89,6 +94,11 @@ else
     CODECOV=no
 fi
 
+if [ $DELAY -gt 0 ]; then
+    echo "Wait $DELAY seconds before starting VM"
+    sleep $DELAY
+fi
+
 echo "Starting test run in a virtual machine"
 
 kvm \