diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 961bf6fd43..6f1284aa79 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2716,6 +2716,12 @@ for i in $glib_modules; do
     fi
 done
 
+# g_test_trap_subprocess added in 2.38. Used by some tests.
+glib_subprocess=yes
+if ! $pkg_config --atleast-version=2.38 glib-2.0; then
+    glib_subprocess=no
+fi
+
 ##########################################
 # SHA command probe for modules
 if test "$modules" = yes; then
@@ -4585,6 +4591,9 @@ if test "$bluez" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_BLUEZ=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "BLUEZ_CFLAGS=$bluez_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
+if test "glib_subprocess" = "yes" ; then
+  echo "CONFIG_HAS_GLIB_SUBPROCESS_TESTS=y" >> $config_host_mak
+fi
 echo "GLIB_CFLAGS=$glib_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
 if test "$gtk" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_GTK=y" >> $config_host_mak
diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index d5db97ba63..a5e3d0c369 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ check-unit-y += tests/test-int128$(EXESUF)
 # all code tested by test-int128 is inside int128.h
 gcov-files-test-int128-y =
 check-unit-y += tests/test-bitops$(EXESUF)
-check-unit-y += tests/test-qdev-global-props$(EXESUF)
+check-unit-$(CONFIG_HAS_GLIB_SUBPROCESS_TESTS) += tests/test-qdev-global-props$(EXESUF)
 check-unit-y += tests/check-qom-interface$(EXESUF)
 gcov-files-check-qom-interface-y = qom/object.c
 check-unit-$(CONFIG_POSIX) += tests/test-vmstate$(EXESUF)