diff --git a/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py b/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py
index 67f75f66e560..0856880000f3 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py
@@ -309,10 +309,13 @@ class LinuxTest(Test, LinuxSSHMixIn):
     timeout = 900
     chksum = None
 
-    def setUp(self, ssh_pubkey=None):
+    def setUp(self, ssh_pubkey=None, network_device_type='virtio-net'):
         super(LinuxTest, self).setUp()
         self.vm.add_args('-smp', '2')
         self.vm.add_args('-m', '1024')
+        # The following network device allows for SSH connections
+        self.vm.add_args('-netdev', 'user,id=vnet,hostfwd=:127.0.0.1:0-:22',
+                         '-device', '%s,netdev=vnet' % network_device_type)
         self.set_up_boot()
         if ssh_pubkey is None:
             ssh_pubkey, self.ssh_key = self.set_up_existing_ssh_keys()
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py b/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py
index bed8ce44dfc6..e10a935ac4e9 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py
@@ -207,10 +207,6 @@ def setUp(self):
             self.vm.add_args('-kernel', vmlinuz,
                              '-append', 'console=ttyS0 root=/dev/sda1')
 
-        # Allow us to connect to SSH
-        self.vm.add_args('-netdev', 'user,id=vnet,hostfwd=:127.0.0.1:0-:22',
-                         '-device', 'virtio-net,netdev=vnet')
-
         self.require_accelerator("kvm")
         self.vm.add_args('-accel', 'kvm')