diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/235 b/tests/qemu-iotests/235
index fedd111fd4..3d7533980d 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/235
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/235
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ qemu_img_create('-f', iotests.imgfmt, '-o', 'preallocation=metadata', disk,
                 str(size))
 
 vm = QEMUMachine(iotests.qemu_prog)
-vm.add_args('-machine', 'accel=kvm:tcg')
+vm.add_args('-accel', 'kvm', '-accel', 'tcg')
 if iotests.qemu_default_machine == 's390-ccw-virtio':
         vm.add_args('-no-shutdown')
 vm.add_args('-drive', 'id=src,file=' + disk)
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/check b/tests/qemu-iotests/check
index 90970b0549..2890785a10 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/check
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/check
@@ -587,13 +587,13 @@ export QEMU_PROG="$(type -p "$QEMU_PROG")"
 
 case "$QEMU_PROG" in
     *qemu-system-arm|*qemu-system-aarch64)
-        export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -display none -machine virt,accel=qtest"
+        export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -display none -machine virt -accel qtest"
         ;;
     *qemu-system-tricore)
-        export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -display none -machine tricore_testboard,accel=qtest"
+        export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -display none -machine tricore_testboard -accel qtest"
         ;;
     *)
-        export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -display none -machine accel=qtest"
+        export QEMU_OPTIONS="-nodefaults -display none -accel qtest"
         ;;
 esac