diff --git a/tests/docker/common.rc b/tests/docker/common.rc
index ba1f942328..4ff5974016 100755
--- a/tests/docker/common.rc
+++ b/tests/docker/common.rc
@@ -40,6 +40,17 @@ build_qemu()
     make $MAKEFLAGS
 }
 
+check_qemu()
+{
+    # default to make check unless the caller specifies
+    if test -z "$@"; then
+        INVOCATION="check"
+    else
+        INVOCATION="$@"
+    fi
+    make $MAKEFLAGS $INVOCATION
+}
+
 test_fail()
 {
     echo "$@"
diff --git a/tests/docker/test-clang b/tests/docker/test-clang
index e90a793178..324e341cea 100755
--- a/tests/docker/test-clang
+++ b/tests/docker/test-clang
@@ -23,5 +23,5 @@ OPTS="--cxx=clang++ --cc=clang --host-cc=clang"
 #OPTS="$OPTS --extra-cflags=-fsanitize=undefined \
     #--extra-cflags=-fno-sanitize=float-divide-by-zero"
 build_qemu $OPTS
-make $MAKEFLAGS check
+check_qemu
 install_qemu
diff --git a/tests/docker/test-debug b/tests/docker/test-debug
index d3f9f70d01..137f4f2ddc 100755
--- a/tests/docker/test-debug
+++ b/tests/docker/test-debug
@@ -22,5 +22,5 @@ OPTS="--cxx=clang++ --cc=clang --host-cc=clang"
 OPTS="--enable-debug --enable-sanitizers $OPTS"
 
 build_qemu $OPTS
-make $MAKEFLAGS V=1 check
+check_qemu check V=1
 install_qemu
diff --git a/tests/docker/test-full b/tests/docker/test-full
index b4e42d25d7..aadc0f00a2 100755
--- a/tests/docker/test-full
+++ b/tests/docker/test-full
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@
 
 cd "$BUILD_DIR"
 
-build_qemu && make check $MAKEFLAGS && install_qemu
+build_qemu && check_qemu && install_qemu
diff --git a/tests/docker/test-quick b/tests/docker/test-quick
index 3b7bce6105..eee59c55fb 100755
--- a/tests/docker/test-quick
+++ b/tests/docker/test-quick
@@ -18,5 +18,5 @@ cd "$BUILD_DIR"
 DEF_TARGET_LIST="x86_64-softmmu,aarch64-softmmu"
 TARGET_LIST=${TARGET_LIST:-$DEF_TARGET_LIST} \
 build_qemu
-make check $MAKEFLAGS
+check_qemu
 install_qemu