diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 2cadd4987..63372c2ba 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ sysprof_req = '>= 3.37.2'
 gnome = import('gnome')
 pkg = import('pkgconfig')
 i18n  = import('i18n')
+fs = import('fs')
 cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
 
 prefix = get_option('prefix')
@@ -269,6 +270,7 @@ have_core_tests = false
 have_cogl_tests = false
 have_clutter_tests = false
 have_native_tests = false
+have_kvm_tests = false
 have_installed_tests = false
 
 if have_tests
@@ -287,6 +289,15 @@ if have_tests
       error('Native tests require remote desktop')
     endif
   endif
+  have_kvm_tests = get_option('kvm_tests')
+  if have_kvm_tests
+    if not have_native_backend
+      error('KVM tests need the native backend tests')
+    endif
+    if host_machine.cpu_family() != 'x86_64'
+      error('KVM tests are only supported on x86_64')
+    endif
+  endif
 
   have_cogl_tests = get_option('cogl_tests')
   have_clutter_tests = get_option('clutter_tests')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 6609e4332..12457d261 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -141,6 +141,18 @@ option('tests',
   description: 'Enable tests globally. Specific test suites can be controlled with core_tests, clutter_tests, and cogl_tests'
 )
 
+option('kvm_tests',
+  type: 'boolean',
+  value: false,
+  description: 'Enable running certain tests in a virtual machine with a custom built kernel'
+)
+
+option('kvm_kernel_image',
+  type: 'string',
+  value: '',
+  description: 'Path to a Linux kernel image to be used for KVM testing'
+)
+
 option('profiler',
   type: 'boolean',
   value: true,
diff --git a/src/tests/kvm/README.md b/src/tests/kvm/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..336b3df5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/kvm/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+## High level description of the files in this directory.
+
+### build-linux.sh
+
+Builds a Linux kernel image meant to be launched using qemu. Doesn't make any
+assumptions about configuration other than that. It uses the drm kernel tree.
+It's used from meson.build.
+
+### kernel-version.txt
+
+Describes the version of the Linux kernel to use; usually a tag. It's a
+separate file so that changing the version will make meson build a new kernel
+image.
+
+### virtme-run.sh
+
+A helper script that uses 'virtme' to launch a qemu virtual machine with the
+host filesystem exposed inside the virtual machine.
+
+### run-kvm-test.sh
+
+Runs the passed test executable in a mocked environment using
+'meta-dbus-runner.py' (which uses python-dbusmock to create a mocked system
+environment.
+
+### meson.build
+
+Contains one rule for building the Linux kernel image, and meson test cases
+that launches tests inside virtual machines.
diff --git a/src/tests/kvm/build-linux.sh b/src/tests/kvm/build-linux.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..49f622a56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/kvm/build-linux.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Script for building the Linux kernel from git. It aims to build a kernel image
+# that is suitable for running in a virtual machine and is aimed to used for
+# testing.
+#
+# Usage: build-linux.sh [REPO-URL] [BRANCH|TAG] [OUTPUT-FILE] [...CONFIGS]
+#
+# Where [..CONFIGS] can be any number of configuration options, e.g.
+# --enable CONFIG_DRM_VKMS
+
+set -e
+
+# From scripts/subarch.include in linux
+function get-subarch()
+{
+  uname -m | sed -e s/i.86/x86/ \
+                 -e s/x86_64/x86/ \
+                 -e s/sun4u/sparc64/ \
+                 -e s/arm.*/arm/ -e s/sa110/arm/ \
+                 -e s/s390x/s390/ -e s/parisc64/parisc/ \
+                 -e s/ppc.*/powerpc/ -e s/mips.*/mips/ \
+                 -e s/sh[234].*/sh/ -e s/aarch64.*/arm64/ \
+                 -e s/riscv.*/riscv/
+}
+
+REPO="$1"
+BRANCH_OR_TAG="$(cat $2)"
+IMAGE="$3"
+
+ARCH=$(uname -m)
+SUBARCH=$(get-subarch)
+
+shift
+shift
+shift
+
+# ./scripts/config  --enable CONFIG_DRM_VKMS
+CONFIGS=()
+while [[ "x$1" != "x" ]]; do
+  CONFIGS+=( "$1" )
+  shift
+done
+
+echo Building Linux for $ARCH \($SUBARCH\)...
+
+set -x
+
+if [ -d linux ]; then
+  pushd linux
+  git fetch $REPO $BRANCH_OR_TAG
+  git checkout FETCH_HEAD
+else
+  git clone --depth=1 --branch=$BRANCH_OR_TAG $REPO linux
+  pushd linux
+fi
+
+make defconfig
+sync
+make kvm_guest.config
+
+echo Enabling ${CONFIGS[@]}...
+./scripts/config ${CONFIGS[@]/#/--enable }
+
+make oldconfig
+make -j8
+
+popd
+
+TARGET_DIR="$(dirname "$IMAGE")"
+mkdir -p "$TARGET_DIR"
+mv linux/arch/$SUBARCH/boot/bzImage "$IMAGE"
+mv linux/.config $TARGET_DIR/.config
+#rm -rf linux
diff --git a/src/tests/kvm/kernel-version.txt b/src/tests/kvm/kernel-version.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5aeaf910f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/kvm/kernel-version.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+drm-next-2021-11-12
diff --git a/src/tests/kvm/meson.build b/src/tests/kvm/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd8725912
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/kvm/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+build_linux = find_program('build-linux.sh')
+
+kernel_image_path = get_option('kvm_kernel_image')
+if kernel_image_path != ''
+  if not fs.is_absolute(kernel_image_path)
+    error('Kernel image path @0@ must be absolute'.format(kernel_image_path))
+  endif
+  if not fs.is_file(kernel_image_path)
+    error('Kernel image @0@ does not exist'.format(kernel_image_path))
+  endif
+  kernel_image_target = []
+else
+  kernel_image_target = custom_target('linux-kernel',
+    output: 'bzImage',
+    input: 'kernel-version.txt',
+    console: true,
+    command: [
+      build_linux,
+      'https://anongit.freedesktop.org/git/drm/drm.git',
+      '@INPUT@',
+      '@OUTPUT@',
+      '--enable', 'CONFIG_DRM_VKMS',
+    ]
+  )
+  kernel_image_path = kernel_image_target.full_path()
+endif
+
+virtme_run = find_program('virtme-run.sh')
+
+foreach test: privileged_tests
+  test_name = test[0]
+  test_executable = test[1]
+
+  test('kvm-' + test_name, virtme_run,
+    suite: ['core', 'mutter/native/kvm'],
+    depends: [
+      kernel_image_target,
+    ],
+    workdir: mutter_srcdir,
+    args: [
+      kernel_image_path,
+      meta_dbus_runner.full_path(),
+      '--kvm',
+      test_executable.full_path(),
+      meson.current_build_dir(),
+    ]
+  )
+endforeach
diff --git a/src/tests/kvm/run-kvm-test.sh b/src/tests/kvm/run-kvm-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..a6fa901ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/kvm/run-kvm-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/usr/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+WRAPPER="$1"
+WRAPPER_ARGS="$2"
+TEST_EXECUTABLE="$3"
+TEST_RESULT="$4"
+
+export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="/tmp/sub-runtime-dir-$UID"
+export GSETTINGS_SCHEMA_DIR="$PWD/build/data"
+export G_SLICE="always-malloc"
+export MALLOC_CHECK_="3"
+export NO_AT_BRIDGE="1"
+export MALLOC_PERTURB_="123"
+
+mkdir -p -m 700 $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
+
+glib-compile-schemas $GSETTINGS_SCHEMA_DIR
+
+"$WRAPPER" $WRAPPER_ARGS "$TEST_EXECUTABLE"
+
+echo $? > $TEST_RESULT
diff --git a/src/tests/kvm/virtme-run.sh b/src/tests/kvm/virtme-run.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..6b877f1d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/kvm/virtme-run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/usr/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+DIRNAME="$(dirname "$0")"
+IMAGE="$1"
+WRAPPER="$2"
+WRAPPER_ARGS="$3"
+TEST_EXECUTABLE="$4"
+TEST_BUILD_DIR="$5"
+
+TEST_RESULT_FILE=$(mktemp -p "$TEST_BUILD_DIR" -t test-result-XXXXXX)
+echo 1 > "$TEST_RESULT_FILE"
+
+virtme-run \
+  --memory=256M \
+  --rw \
+  --pwd \
+  --kimg "$IMAGE" \
+  --script-sh "sh -c \"env HOME=$HOME $DIRNAME/run-kvm-test.sh \\\"$WRAPPER\\\" \\\"$WRAPPER_ARGS\\\" \\\"$TEST_EXECUTABLE\\\" \\\"$TEST_RESULT_FILE\\\"\""
+
+TEST_RESULT="$(cat "$TEST_RESULT_FILE")"
+rm "$TEST_RESULT_FILE"
+
+exit "$TEST_RESULT"
diff --git a/src/tests/meson.build b/src/tests/meson.build
index 02460b5f3..0a0fa7a80 100644
--- a/src/tests/meson.build
+++ b/src/tests/meson.build
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ test_runner = executable('mutter-test-runner',
   install_dir: mutter_installed_tests_libexecdir,
 )
 
+meta_dbus_runner = find_program('meta-dbus-runner.py')
+
 if have_installed_tests
   install_data('meta-dbus-runner.py',
     install_dir: mutter_installed_tests_libexecdir,
@@ -391,11 +393,14 @@ if have_native_tests
     is_parallel: false,
     timeout: 60,
   )
-
-  test('native-kms-render', native_kms_render_tests,
-    suite: ['core', 'mutter/native/kms/render'],
-    env: test_env,
-    is_parallel: false,
-    timeout: 60,
-  )
+endif
+
+if have_kvm_tests
+  privileged_tests = [
+    [ 'kms-render', native_kms_render_tests ],
+  ]
+
+  if have_kvm_tests
+    subdir('kvm')
+  endif
 endif