diff --git a/tests/libqtest.c b/tests/libqtest.c
index 44ce118cfc..75e07e16e7 100644
--- a/tests/libqtest.c
+++ b/tests/libqtest.c
@@ -215,24 +215,28 @@ QTestState *qtest_init_without_qmp_handshake(bool use_oob,
 
     qtest_add_abrt_handler(kill_qemu_hook_func, s);
 
+    command = g_strdup_printf("exec %s "
+                              "-qtest unix:%s,nowait "
+                              "-qtest-log %s "
+                              "-chardev socket,path=%s,nowait,id=char0 "
+                              "-mon chardev=char0,mode=control%s "
+                              "-machine accel=qtest "
+                              "-display none "
+                              "%s", qemu_binary, socket_path,
+                              getenv("QTEST_LOG") ? "/dev/fd/2" : "/dev/null",
+                              qmp_socket_path, use_oob ? ",x-oob=on" : "",
+                              extra_args ?: "");
+
+    g_test_message("starting QEMU: %s", command);
+
     s->qemu_pid = fork();
     if (s->qemu_pid == 0) {
         setenv("QEMU_AUDIO_DRV", "none", true);
-        command = g_strdup_printf("exec %s "
-                                  "-qtest unix:%s,nowait "
-                                  "-qtest-log %s "
-                                  "-chardev socket,path=%s,nowait,id=char0 "
-                                  "-mon chardev=char0,mode=control%s "
-                                  "-machine accel=qtest "
-                                  "-display none "
-                                  "%s", qemu_binary, socket_path,
-                                  getenv("QTEST_LOG") ? "/dev/fd/2" : "/dev/null",
-                                  qmp_socket_path, use_oob ? ",x-oob=on" : "",
-                                  extra_args ?: "");
         execlp("/bin/sh", "sh", "-c", command, NULL);
         exit(1);
     }
 
+    g_free(command);
     s->fd = socket_accept(sock);
     if (s->fd >= 0) {
         s->qmp_fd = socket_accept(qmpsock);