diff --git a/test/containerbuild.py b/test/containerbuild.py
index 96b24fc3a..e51764a02 100644
--- a/test/containerbuild.py
+++ b/test/containerbuild.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import platform
 import subprocess
 
 import pytest
@@ -22,7 +23,10 @@ def build_container_fixture():
 def container_to_build_ref():
     # TODO: make this another indirect fixture input, e.g. by making
     # making "image_type" an "image" tuple (type, container_ref_to_test)
-    return os.getenv(
-        "BIB_TEST_BOOTC_CONTAINER_TAG",
-        "quay.io/centos-bootc/fedora-bootc:eln",
-    )
+    default_container_tag = "quay.io/centos-bootc/fedora-bootc:eln"
+    if platform.machine() == "arm64":
+        # TODO move to gen_testcases() once
+        #  https://github.com/osbuild/bootc-image-builder/pull/148
+        # landed. fedora:eln does not currently work on aarch64
+        default_container_tag = "quay.io/centos-bootc/centos-bootc:stream9"
+    return os.getenv("BIB_TEST_BOOTC_CONTAINER_TAG", default_container_tag)
diff --git a/test/test_build.py b/test/test_build.py
index 1364fe279..451e3e62c 100644
--- a/test/test_build.py
+++ b/test/test_build.py
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ def test_image_is_generated(image_type):
         f"content: {os.listdir(os.fspath(image_type.img_path))}"
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(platform.system() != "Linux", reason="boot test only runs on linux right now")
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("image_type", DIRECT_BOOT_IMAGE_TYPES, indirect=["image_type"])
 def test_image_boots(image_type):
     with QEMU(image_type.img_path) as test_vm:
diff --git a/test/vm.py b/test/vm.py
index ad6401881..3e58fe215 100644
--- a/test/vm.py
+++ b/test/vm.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import abc
+import glob
 import os
 import pathlib
+import platform
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import time
@@ -88,6 +90,11 @@ def find_ovmf():
     ]:
         if os.path.exists(p):
             return p
+    # macos
+    p = "/opt/homebrew/Cellar/qemu/*/share/qemu/edk2-aarch64-code.fd"
+    m = glob.glob(p)
+    if len(m) == 1:
+        return m[0]
     raise ValueError("cannot find a OVMF bios")
 
 
@@ -96,7 +103,7 @@ class QEMU(VM):
     # TODO: support qemu-system-aarch64 too :)
     QEMU = "qemu-system-x86_64"
 
-    def __init__(self, img, snapshot=True, cdrom=None):
+    def __init__(self, img, arch="", snapshot=True, cdrom=None):
         super().__init__()
         self._img = pathlib.Path(img)
         self._qmp_socket = self._img.with_suffix(".qemp-socket")
@@ -104,19 +111,31 @@ def __init__(self, img, snapshot=True, cdrom=None):
         self._snapshot = snapshot
         self._cdrom = cdrom
         self._ssh_port = None
+        if arch in ("", "native"):
+            arch = platform.machine()
+        self._arch = arch
 
     def __del__(self):
         self.force_stop()
 
-    # XXX: move args to init() so that __enter__ can use them?
-    def start(self, wait_event="ssh", snapshot=True, use_ovmf=False):
-        if self.running():
-            return
-        log_path = self._img.with_suffix(".serial-log")
-        self._ssh_port = get_free_port()
-        self._address = "localhost"
-        qemu_cmdline = [
-            self.QEMU, "-enable-kvm",
+    def _gen_qemu_cmdline(self, snapshot, use_ovmf):
+        if self._arch in ("arm64", "aarch64"):
+            qemu_cmdline = [
+                "qemu-system-aarch64",
+                "-M", "accel=hvf",
+                "-machine", "virt",
+                "-smp 2",
+                "-bios", find_ovmf(),
+            ]
+        elif self._arch in ("amd64", "x86_64"):
+            qemu_cmdline = [
+                "qemu-system-x86_64",
+                "-M", "accel=kvm",
+            ]
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f"unsupported architecture {self._arch}")
+        # common part
+        qemu_cmdline += [
             "-m", self.MEM,
             # get "illegal instruction" inside the VM otherwise
             "-cpu", "host",
@@ -135,7 +154,15 @@ def start(self, wait_event="ssh", snapshot=True, use_ovmf=False):
         if snapshot:
             qemu_cmdline.append("-snapshot")
         qemu_cmdline.append(self._img)
-        self._log(f"vm starting, log available at {log_path}")
+        return qemu_cmdline
+
+    # XXX: move args to init() so that __enter__ can use them?
+    def start(self, wait_event="ssh", snapshot=True, use_ovmf=False):
+        if self.running():
+            return
+        self._ssh_port = get_free_port()
+        self._address = "localhost"
+        qemu_cmdline = self._gen_qemu_cmdline(snapshot, use_ovmf)
 
         # XXX: use systemd-run to ensure cleanup?
         self._qemu_p = subprocess.Popen(