diff --git a/tests/Makefile.include b/tests/Makefile.include
index 5b838ec438..0184ef2237 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/Makefile.include
@@ -89,11 +89,9 @@ distclean-tcg: $(DISTCLEAN_TCG_TARGET_RULES)
 # Build up our target list from the filtered list of ninja targets
 TARGETS=$(patsubst libqemu-%.fa, %, $(filter libqemu-%.fa, $(ninja-targets)))
 
-TESTS_VENV_DIR=$(BUILD_DIR)/pyvenv
 TESTS_VENV_TOKEN=$(BUILD_DIR)/pyvenv/tests.group
 TESTS_VENV_REQ=$(SRC_PATH)/tests/requirements.txt
 TESTS_RESULTS_DIR=$(BUILD_DIR)/tests/results
-TESTS_PYTHON=$(TESTS_VENV_DIR)/bin/python3
 ifndef AVOCADO_TESTS
 	AVOCADO_TESTS=tests/avocado
 endif
@@ -109,7 +107,7 @@ else
 endif
 
 quiet-venv-pip = $(quiet-@)$(call quiet-command-run, \
-    $(TESTS_PYTHON) -m pip -q --disable-pip-version-check $1, \
+    $(PYTHON) -m pip -q --disable-pip-version-check $1, \
     "VENVPIP","$1")
 
 $(TESTS_VENV_TOKEN): $(TESTS_VENV_REQ)
@@ -131,7 +129,7 @@ FEDORA_31_DOWNLOAD=$(filter $(FEDORA_31_ARCHES),$(FEDORA_31_ARCHES_CANDIDATES))
 # download one specific Fedora 31 image
 get-vm-image-fedora-31-%: check-venv
 	$(call quiet-command, \
-             $(TESTS_PYTHON) -m avocado vmimage get \
+             $(PYTHON) -m avocado vmimage get \
              --distro=fedora --distro-version=31 --arch=$*, \
 	"AVOCADO", "Downloading avocado tests VM image for $*")
 
@@ -142,7 +140,7 @@ JOBS_OPTION=$(lastword -j1 $(filter-out -j, $(filter -j%,$(MAKEFLAGS))))
 
 check-avocado: check-venv $(TESTS_RESULTS_DIR) get-vm-images
 	$(call quiet-command, 							\
-            $(TESTS_PYTHON) -m avocado 						\
+            $(PYTHON) -m avocado 						\
             --show=$(AVOCADO_SHOW) run --job-results-dir=$(TESTS_RESULTS_DIR) 	\
             $(if $(AVOCADO_TAGS),, 						\
 			--filter-by-tags-include-empty 				\
diff --git a/tests/vm/Makefile.include b/tests/vm/Makefile.include
index c2a8ca1c17..f0f5d32fb0 100644
--- a/tests/vm/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/vm/Makefile.include
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ ifeq ($(realpath $(SRC_PATH)),$(realpath .))
 VM_PYTHON = PYTHONPATH=$(SRC_PATH)/python /usr/bin/env python3
 VM_VENV =
 else
-VM_PYTHON = $(TESTS_PYTHON)
+VM_PYTHON = $(PYTHON)
 VM_VENV = check-venv
 endif