diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index c9fe862754..894f862dd3 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
 #include "qapi-event.h"
 #include "qmp-introspect.h"
 #include "sysemu/block-backend.h"
+#include "sysemu/qtest.h"
 
 /* for hmp_info_irq/pic */
 #if defined(TARGET_SPARC)
@@ -232,6 +233,8 @@ static const mon_cmd_t qmp_cmds[];
 
 Monitor *cur_mon;
 
+static QEMUClockType event_clock_type = QEMU_CLOCK_REALTIME;
+
 static void monitor_command_cb(void *opaque, const char *cmdline,
                                void *readline_opaque);
 
@@ -513,7 +516,7 @@ monitor_qapi_event_queue(QAPIEvent event, QDict *qdict, Error **errp)
              * monitor_qapi_event_handler() in evconf->rate ns.  Any
              * events arriving before then will be delayed until then.
              */
-            int64_t now = qemu_clock_get_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_REALTIME);
+            int64_t now = qemu_clock_get_ns(event_clock_type);
 
             monitor_qapi_event_emit(event, qdict);
 
@@ -522,7 +525,7 @@ monitor_qapi_event_queue(QAPIEvent event, QDict *qdict, Error **errp)
             evstate->data = data;
             QINCREF(evstate->data);
             evstate->qdict = NULL;
-            evstate->timer = timer_new_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_REALTIME,
+            evstate->timer = timer_new_ns(event_clock_type,
                                           monitor_qapi_event_handler,
                                           evstate);
             g_hash_table_add(monitor_qapi_event_state, evstate);
@@ -547,7 +550,7 @@ static void monitor_qapi_event_handler(void *opaque)
     qemu_mutex_lock(&monitor_lock);
 
     if (evstate->qdict) {
-        int64_t now = qemu_clock_get_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_REALTIME);
+        int64_t now = qemu_clock_get_ns(event_clock_type);
 
         monitor_qapi_event_emit(evstate->event, evstate->qdict);
         QDECREF(evstate->qdict);
@@ -603,6 +606,10 @@ static gboolean qapi_event_throttle_equal(const void *a, const void *b)
 
 static void monitor_qapi_event_init(void)
 {
+    if (qtest_enabled()) {
+        event_clock_type = QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL;
+    }
+
     monitor_qapi_event_state = g_hash_table_new(qapi_event_throttle_hash,
                                                 qapi_event_throttle_equal);
     qmp_event_set_func_emit(monitor_qapi_event_queue);