diff --git a/tests/vm/aarch64vm.py b/tests/vm/aarch64vm.py
index bb04cb19c91..d70ab843b6b 100644
--- a/tests/vm/aarch64vm.py
+++ b/tests/vm/aarch64vm.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def get_config_defaults(vmcls, default_config):
 def aarch_get_config_defaults(vmcls):
     """Set the defaults for current version of QEMU."""
     config = CURRENT_CONFIG
-    args, argv = basevm.parse_args(vmcls)
+    args = basevm.parse_args(vmcls)
     qemu_path = basevm.get_qemu_path(vmcls.arch, args.build_path)
     qemu_version = basevm.get_qemu_version(qemu_path)
     if qemu_version < QEMU_AARCH64_MIN_VERSION:
diff --git a/tests/vm/basevm.py b/tests/vm/basevm.py
index 04d083409a5..890bbc5549a 100644
--- a/tests/vm/basevm.py
+++ b/tests/vm/basevm.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from qemu.accel import kvm_available
 from qemu.machine import QEMUMachine
 import subprocess
 import hashlib
-import optparse
+import argparse
 import atexit
 import tempfile
 import shutil
@@ -556,54 +556,57 @@ def parse_args(vmcls):
         else:
             return 1
 
-    parser = optparse.OptionParser(
-        description="VM test utility.  Exit codes: "
-                    "0 = success, "
-                    "1 = command line error, "
-                    "2 = environment initialization failed, "
-                    "3 = test command failed")
-    parser.add_option("--debug", "-D", action="store_true",
-                      help="enable debug output")
-    parser.add_option("--image", "-i", default="%s.img" % vmcls.name,
-                      help="image file name")
-    parser.add_option("--force", "-f", action="store_true",
-                      help="force build image even if image exists")
-    parser.add_option("--jobs", type=int, default=get_default_jobs(),
-                      help="number of virtual CPUs")
-    parser.add_option("--verbose", "-V", action="store_true",
-                      help="Pass V=1 to builds within the guest")
-    parser.add_option("--build-image", "-b", action="store_true",
-                      help="build image")
-    parser.add_option("--build-qemu",
-                      help="build QEMU from source in guest")
-    parser.add_option("--build-target",
-                      help="QEMU build target", default="check")
-    parser.add_option("--build-path", default=None,
-                      help="Path of build directory, "\
-                           "for using build tree QEMU binary. ")
-    parser.add_option("--interactive", "-I", action="store_true",
-                      help="Interactively run command")
-    parser.add_option("--snapshot", "-s", action="store_true",
-                      help="run tests with a snapshot")
-    parser.add_option("--genisoimage", default="genisoimage",
-                      help="iso imaging tool")
-    parser.add_option("--config", "-c", default=None,
-                      help="Provide config yaml for configuration. "\
-                           "See config_example.yaml for example.")
-    parser.add_option("--efi-aarch64",
-                      default="/usr/share/qemu-efi-aarch64/QEMU_EFI.fd",
-                      help="Path to efi image for aarch64 VMs.")
-    parser.add_option("--log-console", action="store_true",
-                      help="Log console to file.")
-    parser.disable_interspersed_args()
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter,
+        description="Utility for provisioning VMs and running builds",
+        epilog="""Remaining arguments are passed to the command.
+        Exit codes: 0 = success, 1 = command line error,
+        2 = environment initialization failed,
+        3 = test command failed""")
+    parser.add_argument("--debug", "-D", action="store_true",
+                        help="enable debug output")
+    parser.add_argument("--image", "-i", default="%s.img" % vmcls.name,
+                        help="image file name")
+    parser.add_argument("--force", "-f", action="store_true",
+                        help="force build image even if image exists")
+    parser.add_argument("--jobs", type=int, default=get_default_jobs(),
+                        help="number of virtual CPUs")
+    parser.add_argument("--verbose", "-V", action="store_true",
+                        help="Pass V=1 to builds within the guest")
+    parser.add_argument("--build-image", "-b", action="store_true",
+                        help="build image")
+    parser.add_argument("--build-qemu",
+                        help="build QEMU from source in guest")
+    parser.add_argument("--build-target",
+                        help="QEMU build target", default="check")
+    parser.add_argument("--build-path", default=None,
+                        help="Path of build directory, "\
+                        "for using build tree QEMU binary. ")
+    parser.add_argument("--interactive", "-I", action="store_true",
+                        help="Interactively run command")
+    parser.add_argument("--snapshot", "-s", action="store_true",
+                        help="run tests with a snapshot")
+    parser.add_argument("--genisoimage", default="genisoimage",
+                        help="iso imaging tool")
+    parser.add_argument("--config", "-c", default=None,
+                        help="Provide config yaml for configuration. "\
+                        "See config_example.yaml for example.")
+    parser.add_argument("--efi-aarch64",
+                        default="/usr/share/qemu-efi-aarch64/QEMU_EFI.fd",
+                        help="Path to efi image for aarch64 VMs.")
+    parser.add_argument("--log-console", action="store_true",
+                        help="Log console to file.")
+    parser.add_argument("commands", nargs="*", help="""Remaining
+        commands after -- are passed to command inside the VM""")
+
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 def main(vmcls, config=None):
     try:
         if config == None:
             config = {}
-        args, argv = parse_args(vmcls)
-        if not argv and not args.build_qemu and not args.build_image:
+        args = parse_args(vmcls)
+        if not args.commands and not args.build_qemu and not args.build_image:
             print("Nothing to do?")
             return 1
         config = parse_config(config, args)
@@ -619,12 +622,12 @@ def main(vmcls, config=None):
         if args.build_qemu:
             vm.add_source_dir(args.build_qemu)
             cmd = [vm.BUILD_SCRIPT.format(
-                   configure_opts = " ".join(argv),
+                   configure_opts = " ".join(args.commands),
                    jobs=int(args.jobs),
                    target=args.build_target,
                    verbose = "V=1" if args.verbose else "")]
         else:
-            cmd = argv
+            cmd = args.commands
         img = args.image
         if args.snapshot:
             img += ",snapshot=on"
