diff --git a/qga/commands-posix.c b/qga/commands-posix.c
index bd2c3514d8..a8299ecc77 100644
--- a/qga/commands-posix.c
+++ b/qga/commands-posix.c
@@ -1478,75 +1478,43 @@ qmp_guest_fstrim(bool has_minimum, int64_t minimum, Error **errp)
 #define SUSPEND_MODE_RAM 2
 #define SUSPEND_MODE_HYBRID 3
 
-static void bios_supports_mode(int suspend_mode, Error **errp)
+static bool pmutils_supports_mode(int suspend_mode, Error **errp)
 {
     Error *local_err = NULL;
-    const char *pmutils_arg, *sysfile_str;
+    const char *pmutils_arg;
     const char *pmutils_bin = "pm-is-supported";
     char *pmutils_path;
     pid_t pid;
     int status;
+    bool ret = false;
 
     switch (suspend_mode) {
 
     case SUSPEND_MODE_DISK:
         pmutils_arg = "--hibernate";
-        sysfile_str = "disk";
         break;
     case SUSPEND_MODE_RAM:
         pmutils_arg = "--suspend";
-        sysfile_str = "mem";
         break;
     case SUSPEND_MODE_HYBRID:
         pmutils_arg = "--suspend-hybrid";
-        sysfile_str = NULL;
         break;
     default:
-        error_setg(errp, "guest suspend mode not supported");
-        return;
+        return ret;
     }
 
     pmutils_path = g_find_program_in_path(pmutils_bin);
+    if (!pmutils_path) {
+        return ret;
+    }
 
     pid = fork();
     if (!pid) {
-        char buf[32]; /* hopefully big enough */
-        ssize_t ret;
-        int fd;
-
         setsid();
-        reopen_fd_to_null(0);
-        reopen_fd_to_null(1);
-        reopen_fd_to_null(2);
-
-        if (pmutils_path) {
-            execle(pmutils_path, pmutils_bin, pmutils_arg, NULL, environ);
-        }
-
+        execle(pmutils_path, pmutils_bin, pmutils_arg, NULL, environ);
         /*
-         * If we get here either pm-utils is not installed or execle() has
-         * failed. Let's try the manual method if the caller wants it.
+         * If we get here execle() has failed.
          */
-
-        if (!sysfile_str) {
-            _exit(SUSPEND_NOT_SUPPORTED);
-        }
-
-        fd = open(LINUX_SYS_STATE_FILE, O_RDONLY);
-        if (fd < 0) {
-            _exit(SUSPEND_NOT_SUPPORTED);
-        }
-
-        ret = read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf)-1);
-        if (ret <= 0) {
-            _exit(SUSPEND_NOT_SUPPORTED);
-        }
-        buf[ret] = '\0';
-
-        if (strstr(buf, sysfile_str)) {
-            _exit(SUSPEND_SUPPORTED);
-        }
-
         _exit(SUSPEND_NOT_SUPPORTED);
     } else if (pid < 0) {
         error_setg_errno(errp, errno, "failed to create child process");
@@ -1559,17 +1527,11 @@ static void bios_supports_mode(int suspend_mode, Error **errp)
         goto out;
     }
 
-    if (!WIFEXITED(status)) {
-        error_setg(errp, "child process has terminated abnormally");
-        goto out;
-    }
-
     switch (WEXITSTATUS(status)) {
     case SUSPEND_SUPPORTED:
+        ret = true;
         goto out;
     case SUSPEND_NOT_SUPPORTED:
-        error_setg(errp,
-                   "the requested suspend mode is not supported by the guest");
         goto out;
     default:
         error_setg(errp,
@@ -1580,6 +1542,64 @@ static void bios_supports_mode(int suspend_mode, Error **errp)
 
 out:
     g_free(pmutils_path);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+static bool linux_sys_state_supports_mode(int suspend_mode, Error **errp)
+{
+    const char *sysfile_str;
+    char buf[32]; /* hopefully big enough */
+    int fd;
+    ssize_t ret;
+
+    switch (suspend_mode) {
+
+    case SUSPEND_MODE_DISK:
+        sysfile_str = "disk";
+        break;
+    case SUSPEND_MODE_RAM:
+        sysfile_str = "mem";
+        break;
+    default:
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    fd = open(LINUX_SYS_STATE_FILE, O_RDONLY);
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    ret = read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf) - 1);
+    if (ret <= 0) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    buf[ret] = '\0';
+
+    if (strstr(buf, sysfile_str)) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
+static void bios_supports_mode(int suspend_mode, Error **errp)
+{
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
+    bool ret;
+
+    ret = pmutils_supports_mode(suspend_mode, &local_err);
+    if (ret) {
+        return;
+    }
+    if (local_err) {
+        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
+        return;
+    }
+    ret = linux_sys_state_supports_mode(suspend_mode, errp);
+    if (!ret) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "the requested suspend mode is not supported by the guest");
+        return;
+    }
 }
 
 static void guest_suspend(int suspend_mode, Error **errp)