diff --git a/tests/Makefile.include b/tests/Makefile.include
index f77a495109..eabc1da2f3 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/Makefile.include
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ check-help:
 	@echo " $(MAKE) check-block          Run block tests"
 	@echo " $(MAKE) check-tcg            Run TCG tests"
 	@echo " $(MAKE) check-report.html    Generates an HTML test report"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-venv           Creates a Python venv for tests"
 	@echo " $(MAKE) check-clean          Clean the tests"
 	@echo
 	@echo "Please note that HTML reports do not regenerate if the unit tests"
@@ -899,6 +900,30 @@ check-decodetree:
           ./check.sh "$(PYTHON)" "$(SRC_PATH)/scripts/decodetree.py", \
           TEST, decodetree.py)
 
+# Python venv for running tests
+
+.PHONY: check-venv
+
+TESTS_VENV_DIR=$(BUILD_DIR)/tests/venv
+TESTS_VENV_REQ=$(SRC_PATH)/tests/requirements.txt
+
+$(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; assert sys.version_info >= (3,0)' >/dev/null 2>&1)
+ifeq ($(.SHELLSTATUS),0)
+$(TESTS_VENV_DIR): $(TESTS_VENV_REQ)
+	$(call quiet-command, \
+            $(PYTHON) -m venv --system-site-packages $@, \
+            VENV, $@)
+	$(call quiet-command, \
+            $(TESTS_VENV_DIR)/bin/python -m pip -q install -r $(TESTS_VENV_REQ), \
+            PIP, $(TESTS_VENV_REQ))
+	$(call quiet-command, touch $@)
+else
+$(TESTS_VENV_DIR):
+	$(error "venv directory for tests requires Python 3")
+endif
+
+check-venv: $(TESTS_VENV_DIR)
+
 # Consolidated targets
 
 .PHONY: check-qapi-schema check-qtest check-unit check check-clean
@@ -912,6 +937,7 @@ check-clean:
 	rm -rf $(check-unit-y) tests/*.o $(QEMU_IOTESTS_HELPERS-y)
 	rm -rf $(sort $(foreach target,$(SYSEMU_TARGET_LIST), $(check-qtest-$(target)-y)) $(check-qtest-generic-y))
 	rm -f tests/test-qapi-gen-timestamp
+	rm -rf $(TESTS_VENV_DIR)
 
 clean: check-clean
 
diff --git a/tests/requirements.txt b/tests/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d39f9d1576
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Add Python module requirements, one per line, to be installed
+# in the tests/venv Python virtual environment. For more info,
+# refer to: https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/user_guide/#id1