diff --git a/tests/Makefile.include b/tests/Makefile.include
index 98387d3a51..59e536bf0b 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/Makefile.include
@@ -830,7 +830,7 @@ GCOV_OPTIONS = -n $(if $(V),-f,)
 # gtester tests, possibly with verbose output
 
 .PHONY: $(patsubst %, check-qtest-%, $(QTEST_TARGETS))
-$(patsubst %, check-qtest-%, $(QTEST_TARGETS)): check-qtest-%: $(check-qtest-y)
+$(patsubst %, check-qtest-%, $(QTEST_TARGETS)): check-qtest-%: subdir-%-softmmu $(check-qtest-y)
 	$(if $(CONFIG_GCOV),@rm -f *.gcda */*.gcda */*/*.gcda */*/*/*.gcda,)
 	$(call quiet-command,QTEST_QEMU_BINARY=$*-softmmu/qemu-system-$* \
 		QTEST_QEMU_IMG=qemu-img$(EXESUF) \