diff -r 8cc7466ab14c -r 7de386a98aaa tests/configs/base_config.py
--- a/tests/configs/base_config.py	Fri Mar 08 09:21:14 2013 -0500
+++ b/tests/configs/base_config.py	Fri Mar 08 09:22:31 2013 -0500
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 import FSConfig
 from Caches import *
 
+_have_kvm_support = 'BaseKvmCPU' in globals()
+
 class BaseSystem(object):
     """Base system builder.
 
@@ -111,6 +113,14 @@
         """
         cpu.createInterruptController()
 
+    def init_kvm(self, system):
+        """Do KVM-specific system initialization.
+
+        Arguments:
+          system -- System to work on.
+        """
+        system.vm = KvmVM()
+
     def init_system(self, system):
         """Initialize a system.
 
@@ -120,6 +130,10 @@
         system.clock = '1GHz'
         system.cpu = self.create_cpus()
 
+        if _have_kvm_support and \
+                any([isinstance(c, BaseKvmCPU) for c in system.cpu]):
+            self.init_kvm(system)
+
         sha_bus = self.create_caches_shared(system)
         for cpu in system.cpu:
             if not cpu.switched_out:
diff -r 8cc7466ab14c -r 7de386a98aaa tests/run.py
--- a/tests/run.py	Fri Mar 08 09:21:14 2013 -0500
+++ b/tests/run.py	Fri Mar 08 09:22:31 2013 -0500
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@
 import string
 
 from os.path import join as joinpath
+import os.path
+import os
 
 import m5
 
@@ -93,6 +95,46 @@
         else:
             skip_test(msg)
 
+
+def require_file(path, fatal=False, mode=os.F_OK):
+    """Test if a file exists and abort/skip test if not.
+
+    Arguments:
+      path -- File to test for.
+
+    Keyword arguments:
+      fatal -- Set to True to indicate that the test should fail
+               instead of being skipped.
+      modes -- Mode to test for, default to existence. See the
+               Python documentation for os.access().
+    """
+
+    if os.access(path, mode):
+        return
+    else:
+        msg = "Test requires '%s'" % path
+        if not os.path.exists(path):
+            msg += " which does not exist."
+        else:
+            msg += " which has incorrect permissions."
+
+        if fatal:
+            m5.fatal(msg)
+        else:
+            skip_test(msg)
+
+def require_kvm(kvm_dev="/dev/kvm", fatal=False):
+    """Test if KVM is available.
+
+    Keyword arguments:
+      kvm_dev -- Device to test (normally /dev/kvm)
+      fatal -- Set to True to indicate that the test should fail
+               instead of being skipped.
+    """
+
+    require_sim_object("BaseKvmCPU", fatal=fatal)
+    require_file(kvm_dev, fatal=fatal, mode=os.R_OK | os.W_OK)
+
 def run_test(root):
     """Default run_test implementations. Scripts can override it."""