diff --git a/tests/docker/docker.py b/tests/docker/docker.py
index 768728785f..a74338cb61 100755
--- a/tests/docker/docker.py
+++ b/tests/docker/docker.py
@@ -96,13 +96,22 @@ def _get_so_libs(executable):
 
     return libs
 
-def _copy_binary_with_libs(src, dest_dir):
-    """Copy a binary executable and all its dependent libraries.
+def _copy_binary_with_libs(src, bin_dest, dest_dir):
+    """Maybe copy a binary and all its dependent libraries.
+
+    If bin_dest isn't set we only copy the support libraries because
+    we don't need qemu in the docker path to run (due to persistent
+    mapping). Indeed users may get confused if we aren't running what
+    is in the image.
 
     This does rely on the host file-system being fairly multi-arch
-    aware so the file don't clash with the guests layout."""
+    aware so the file don't clash with the guests layout.
+    """
 
-    _copy_with_mkdir(src, dest_dir, "/usr/bin")
+    if bin_dest:
+        _copy_with_mkdir(src, dest_dir, os.path.dirname(bin_dest))
+    else:
+        print("only copying support libraries for %s" % (src))
 
     libs = _get_so_libs(src)
     if libs:
@@ -116,21 +125,26 @@ def _check_binfmt_misc(executable):
 
     The details of setting up binfmt_misc are outside the scope of
     this script but we should at least fail early with a useful
-    message if it won't work."""
+    message if it won't work.
+
+    Returns the configured binfmt path and a valid flag. For
+    persistent configurations we will still want to copy and dependent
+    libraries.
+    """
 
     binary = os.path.basename(executable)
     binfmt_entry = "/proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/%s" % (binary)
 
     if not os.path.exists(binfmt_entry):
         print ("No binfmt_misc entry for %s" % (binary))
-        return None
+        return None, False
 
     with open(binfmt_entry) as x: entry = x.read()
 
     if re.search("flags:.*F.*\n", entry):
         print("binfmt_misc for %s uses persistent(F) mapping to host binary\n" %
               (binary))
-        return None
+        return None, True
 
     m = re.search("interpreter (\S+)\n", entry)
     interp = m.group(1)
@@ -138,7 +152,8 @@ def _check_binfmt_misc(executable):
         print("binfmt_misc for %s does not point to %s, using %s" %
               (binary, executable, interp))
 
-    return interp
+    return interp, True
+
 
 def _read_qemu_dockerfile(img_name):
     # special case for Debian linux-user images
@@ -345,7 +360,8 @@ class BuildCommand(SubCommand):
 
             # Validate binfmt_misc will work
             if args.include_executable:
-                if not _check_binfmt_misc(args.include_executable):
+                qpath, enabled = _check_binfmt_misc(args.include_executable)
+                if not enabled:
                     return 1
 
             # Is there a .pre file to run in the build context?
@@ -368,7 +384,9 @@ class BuildCommand(SubCommand):
                 # FIXME: there is no checksum of this executable and the linked
                 # libraries, once the image built any change of this executable
                 # or any library won't trigger another build.
-                _copy_binary_with_libs(args.include_executable, docker_dir)
+                _copy_binary_with_libs(args.include_executable,
+                                       qpath, docker_dir)
+
             for filename in args.extra_files or []:
                 _copy_with_mkdir(filename, docker_dir)
                 cksum += [(filename, _file_checksum(filename))]
@@ -400,14 +418,16 @@ class UpdateCommand(SubCommand):
         tmp_tar = TarFile(fileobj=tmp, mode='w')
 
         # Add the executable to the tarball, using the current
-        # configured binfmt_misc path.
-        ff = _check_binfmt_misc(args.executable)
-        if not ff:
-            bn = os.path.basename(args.executable)
-            ff = "/usr/bin/%s" % bn
-            print ("No binfmt_misc configured: copied to %s" % (ff))
+        # configured binfmt_misc path. If we don't get a path then we
+        # only need the support libraries copied
+        ff, enabled = _check_binfmt_misc(args.executable)
 
-        tmp_tar.add(args.executable, arcname=ff)
+        if not enabled:
+            print("binfmt_misc not enabled, update disabled")
+            return 1
+
+        if ff:
+            tmp_tar.add(args.executable, arcname=ff)
 
         # Add any associated libraries
         libs = _get_so_libs(args.executable)