diff --git a/tests/hwsim/vm/inside.sh b/tests/hwsim/vm/inside.sh
index c97a284e8..accc0ddec 100755
--- a/tests/hwsim/vm/inside.sh
+++ b/tests/hwsim/vm/inside.sh
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ ln -s /proc/self/fd/0 /dev/stdin
 ln -s /proc/self/fd/1 /dev/stdout
 ln -s /proc/self/fd/2 /dev/stderr
 
+echo "VM has started up" > /dev/ttyS0
+
 # create dummy sudo - everything runs as uid 0
 mkdir /tmp/bin
 cat > /tmp/bin/sudo << EOF
diff --git a/tests/hwsim/vm/vm-run.sh b/tests/hwsim/vm/vm-run.sh
index 1712ed349..2972fb1b0 100755
--- a/tests/hwsim/vm/vm-run.sh
+++ b/tests/hwsim/vm/vm-run.sh
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ $KVM \
 	-fsdev local,security_model=none,id=fsdev-logs,path="$LOGDIR",writeout=immediate \
 	-device virtio-9p-pci,id=fs-logs,fsdev=fsdev-logs,mount_tag=logshare \
 	-monitor null -serial stdio -serial file:$LOGDIR/console \
-	-append "mac80211_hwsim.support_p2p_device=0 mac80211_hwsim.channels=$CHANNELS mac80211_hwsim.radios=7 cfg80211.dyndbg=+p mac80211.dyndbg=+p mac80211_hwsim.dyndbg=+p init=$CMD testdir=$TESTDIR timewarp=$TIMEWARP console=$KVMOUT root=/dev/root rootflags=trans=virtio,version=9p2000.u ro rootfstype=9p EPATH=$EPATH ARGS=$argsfile"
+	-append "mac80211_hwsim.support_p2p_device=0 mac80211_hwsim.channels=$CHANNELS mac80211_hwsim.radios=7 cfg80211.dyndbg=+p mac80211.dyndbg=+p mac80211_hwsim.dyndbg=+p init=$CMD testdir=$TESTDIR timewarp=$TIMEWARP console=$KVMOUT root=/dev/root rootflags=trans=virtio,version=9p2000.u ro rootfstype=9p EPATH=$EPATH ARGS=$argsfile" | \
+	sed -u '0,/VM has started up/d'
 
 if [ $CODECOV = "yes" ]; then
     echo "Preparing code coverage reports"