diff --git a/tests/hwsim/run-all.sh b/tests/hwsim/run-all.sh
index 75c3a58b5..bee753bb6 100755
--- a/tests/hwsim/run-all.sh
+++ b/tests/hwsim/run-all.sh
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ if [ "$(id -u)" != 0 ]; then
 else
 	SUDO=
 fi
-${SUDO} ./run-tests.py -D --logdir "$LOGDIR" $TRACE_ARGS -q $DB $RUN_TEST_ARGS || errors=1
+${SUDO} env VM=$VM ./run-tests.py -D --logdir "$LOGDIR" $TRACE_ARGS -q $DB $RUN_TEST_ARGS || errors=1
 
 ./stop.sh
 
diff --git a/tests/hwsim/utils.py b/tests/hwsim/utils.py
index d01e1fbbf..7e3608284 100644
--- a/tests/hwsim/utils.py
+++ b/tests/hwsim/utils.py
@@ -79,10 +79,8 @@ def wait_fail_trigger(dev, cmd, note="Failure not triggered", max_iter=40,
         time.sleep(timeout)
 
 def require_under_vm():
-    with open('/proc/1/cmdline', 'r') as f:
-        cmd = f.read()
-        if "inside.sh" not in cmd:
-            raise HwsimSkip("Not running under VM")
+    if os.getenv('VM') != 'VM':
+        raise HwsimSkip("Not running under VM")
 
 def iface_is_in_bridge(bridge, ifname):
     fname = "/sys/class/net/"+ifname+"/brport/bridge"