diff --git a/tests/qtest/ahci-test.c b/tests/qtest/ahci-test.c
index d42ebaeb4c..5e1954852e 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/ahci-test.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/ahci-test.c
@@ -1590,7 +1590,7 @@ static void test_atapi_tray(void)
     qtest_qmp_send(ahci->parent->qts, "{'execute': 'blockdev-open-tray', "
                     "'arguments': {'id': 'cd0'}}");
     atapi_wait_tray(ahci, true);
-    rsp = qtest_qmp_receive_dict(ahci->parent->qts);
+    rsp = qtest_qmp_receive(ahci->parent->qts);
     qobject_unref(rsp);
 
     qmp_discard_response(ahci->parent->qts,
@@ -1620,7 +1620,7 @@ static void test_atapi_tray(void)
     qtest_qmp_send(ahci->parent->qts, "{'execute': 'blockdev-close-tray', "
                    "'arguments': {'id': 'cd0'}}");
     atapi_wait_tray(ahci, false);
-    rsp = qtest_qmp_receive_dict(ahci->parent->qts);
+    rsp = qtest_qmp_receive(ahci->parent->qts);
     qobject_unref(rsp);
 
     /* Now, to convince ATAPI we understand the media has changed... */
diff --git a/tests/qtest/device-plug-test.c b/tests/qtest/device-plug-test.c
index a2247856be..9214892741 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/device-plug-test.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/device-plug-test.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ static void device_del_start(QTestState *qtest, const char *id)
 
 static void device_del_finish(QTestState *qtest)
 {
-    QDict *resp = qtest_qmp_receive_dict(qtest);
+    QDict *resp = qtest_qmp_receive(qtest);
 
     g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "return"));
     qobject_unref(resp);
diff --git a/tests/qtest/drive_del-test.c b/tests/qtest/drive_del-test.c
index ba0cd77445..9d20a1ed8b 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/drive_del-test.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/drive_del-test.c
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@
 #include "libqos/virtio.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qdict.h"
 
-/* TODO actually test the results and get rid of this */
-#define qmp_discard_response(q, ...) qobject_unref(qtest_qmp(q, __VA_ARGS__))
-
 static void drive_add(QTestState *qts)
 {
     char *resp = qtest_hmp(qts, "drive_add 0 if=none,id=drive0");
@@ -38,13 +35,13 @@ static void device_del(QTestState *qts)
 {
     QDict *response;
 
-    /* Complication: ignore DEVICE_DELETED event */
-    qmp_discard_response(qts, "{'execute': 'device_del',"
+    response = qtest_qmp(qts, "{'execute': 'device_del',"
                          " 'arguments': { 'id': 'dev0' } }");
-    response = qtest_qmp_receive_dict(qts);
     g_assert(response);
     g_assert(qdict_haskey(response, "return"));
     qobject_unref(response);
+
+    qtest_qmp_eventwait(qts, "DEVICE_DELETED");
 }
 
 static void test_drive_without_dev(void)
diff --git a/tests/qtest/libqos/libqtest.h b/tests/qtest/libqos/libqtest.h
index 19429a536d..a91e9e02e9 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/libqos/libqtest.h
+++ b/tests/qtest/libqos/libqtest.h
@@ -240,23 +240,6 @@ QDict *qtest_qmp_eventwait_ref(QTestState *s, const char *event);
  */
 QDict *qtest_qmp_event_ref(QTestState *s, const char *event);
 
-/**
- * qtest_qmp_receive_success:
- * @s: #QTestState instance to operate on
- * @event_cb: Event callback
- * @opaque: Argument for @event_cb
- *
- * Poll QMP messages until a command success response is received.
- * If @event_cb, call it for each event received, passing @opaque,
- * the event's name and data.
- * Return the success response's "return" member.
- */
-QDict *qtest_qmp_receive_success(QTestState *s,
-                                 void (*event_cb)(void *opaque,
-                                                  const char *name,
-                                                  QDict *data),
-                                 void *opaque);
-
 /**
  * qtest_hmp:
  * @s: #QTestState instance to operate on.
diff --git a/tests/qtest/libqtest.c b/tests/qtest/libqtest.c
index d4c49a52ff..08929f5ff6 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/libqtest.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/libqtest.c
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ QTestState *qtest_init(const char *extra_args)
     QDict *greeting;
 
     /* Read the QMP greeting and then do the handshake */
-    greeting = qtest_qmp_receive_dict(s);
+    greeting = qtest_qmp_receive(s);
     qobject_unref(greeting);
     qobject_unref(qtest_qmp(s, "{ 'execute': 'qmp_capabilities' }"));
 
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ QDict *qtest_vqmp_fds(QTestState *s, int *fds, size_t fds_num,
     qtest_qmp_vsend_fds(s, fds, fds_num, fmt, ap);
 
     /* Receive reply */
-    return qtest_qmp_receive_dict(s);
+    return qtest_qmp_receive(s);
 }
 
 QDict *qtest_vqmp(QTestState *s, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ QDict *qtest_vqmp(QTestState *s, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
     qtest_qmp_vsend(s, fmt, ap);
 
     /* Receive reply */
-    return qtest_qmp_receive_dict(s);
+    return qtest_qmp_receive(s);
 }
 
 QDict *qmp_fd(int fd, const char *fmt, ...)
@@ -850,12 +850,6 @@ char *qtest_vhmp(QTestState *s, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
                      " 'arguments': {'command-line': %s}}",
                      cmd);
     ret = g_strdup(qdict_get_try_str(resp, "return"));
-    while (ret == NULL && qdict_get_try_str(resp, "event")) {
-        /* Ignore asynchronous QMP events */
-        qobject_unref(resp);
-        resp = qtest_qmp_receive_dict(s);
-        ret = g_strdup(qdict_get_try_str(resp, "return"));
-    }
     g_assert(ret);
     qobject_unref(resp);
     g_free(cmd);
@@ -1291,35 +1285,6 @@ void qtest_cb_for_every_machine(void (*cb)(const char *machine),
     qobject_unref(response);
 }
 
-QDict *qtest_qmp_receive_success(QTestState *s,
-                                 void (*event_cb)(void *opaque,
-                                                  const char *event,
-                                                  QDict *data),
-                                 void *opaque)
-{
-    QDict *response, *ret, *data;
-    const char *event;
-
-    for (;;) {
-        response = qtest_qmp_receive_dict(s);
-        g_assert(!qdict_haskey(response, "error"));
-        ret = qdict_get_qdict(response, "return");
-        if (ret) {
-            break;
-        }
-        event = qdict_get_str(response, "event");
-        data = qdict_get_qdict(response, "data");
-        if (event_cb) {
-            event_cb(opaque, event, data);
-        }
-        qobject_unref(response);
-    }
-
-    qobject_ref(ret);
-    qobject_unref(response);
-    return ret;
-}
-
 /*
  * Generic hot-plugging test via the device_add QMP commands.
  */
@@ -1355,13 +1320,6 @@ void qtest_qmp_device_add(QTestState *qts, const char *driver, const char *id,
     qobject_unref(args);
 }
 
-static void device_deleted_cb(void *opaque, const char *name, QDict *data)
-{
-    bool *got_event = opaque;
-
-    g_assert_cmpstr(name, ==, "DEVICE_DELETED");
-    *got_event = true;
-}
 
 /*
  * Generic hot-unplugging test via the device_del QMP command.
@@ -1378,24 +1336,17 @@ static void device_deleted_cb(void *opaque, const char *name, QDict *data)
  * and this one:
  *
  * {"return": {}}
- *
- * But the order of arrival may vary - so we've got to detect both.
  */
 void qtest_qmp_device_del(QTestState *qts, const char *id)
 {
-    bool got_event = false;
     QDict *rsp;
 
-    qtest_qmp_send(qts, "{'execute': 'device_del', 'arguments': {'id': %s}}",
-                   id);
-    rsp = qtest_qmp_receive_success(qts, device_deleted_cb, &got_event);
+    rsp = qtest_qmp(qts, "{'execute': 'device_del', 'arguments': {'id': %s}}",
+                    id);
+
+    g_assert(qdict_haskey(rsp, "return"));
     qobject_unref(rsp);
-    if (!got_event) {
-        rsp = qtest_qmp_receive_dict(qts);
-        g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_try_str(rsp, "event"),
-                        ==, "DEVICE_DELETED");
-        qobject_unref(rsp);
-    }
+    qtest_qmp_eventwait(qts, "DEVICE_DELETED");
 }
 
 bool qmp_rsp_is_err(QDict *rsp)
diff --git a/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.c b/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.c
index 516093b39a..b799dbafb7 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/migration-helpers.c
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@
 
 bool got_stop;
 
-static void stop_cb(void *opaque, const char *name, QDict *data)
+static void check_stop_event(QTestState *who)
 {
-    if (!strcmp(name, "STOP")) {
+    QDict *event = qtest_qmp_event_ref(who, "STOP");
+    if (event) {
         got_stop = true;
+        qobject_unref(event);
     }
 }
 
@@ -30,12 +32,19 @@ static void stop_cb(void *opaque, const char *name, QDict *data)
 QDict *wait_command_fd(QTestState *who, int fd, const char *command, ...)
 {
     va_list ap;
+    QDict *resp;
 
     va_start(ap, command);
     qtest_qmp_vsend_fds(who, &fd, 1, command, ap);
     va_end(ap);
 
-    return qtest_qmp_receive_success(who, stop_cb, NULL);
+    resp = qtest_qmp_receive(who);
+    check_stop_event(who);
+
+    g_assert(!qdict_haskey(resp, "error"));
+    g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "return"));
+
+    return qdict_get_qdict(resp, "return");
 }
 
 /*
@@ -44,12 +53,18 @@ QDict *wait_command_fd(QTestState *who, int fd, const char *command, ...)
 QDict *wait_command(QTestState *who, const char *command, ...)
 {
     va_list ap;
+    QDict *resp;
 
     va_start(ap, command);
-    qtest_qmp_vsend(who, command, ap);
+    resp = qtest_vqmp(who, command, ap);
     va_end(ap);
 
-    return qtest_qmp_receive_success(who, stop_cb, NULL);
+    check_stop_event(who);
+
+    g_assert(!qdict_haskey(resp, "error"));
+    g_assert(qdict_haskey(resp, "return"));
+
+    return qdict_get_qdict(resp, "return");
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/tests/qtest/pvpanic-test.c b/tests/qtest/pvpanic-test.c
index b0b20ad340..0657de797f 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/pvpanic-test.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/pvpanic-test.c
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@ static void test_panic(void)
 
     qtest_outb(qts, 0x505, 0x1);
 
-    response = qtest_qmp_receive_dict(qts);
-    g_assert(qdict_haskey(response, "event"));
-    g_assert_cmpstr(qdict_get_str(response, "event"), ==, "GUEST_PANICKED");
+    response = qtest_qmp_eventwait_ref(qts, "GUEST_PANICKED");
     g_assert(qdict_haskey(response, "data"));
     data = qdict_get_qdict(response, "data");
     g_assert(qdict_haskey(data, "action"));
diff --git a/tests/qtest/tpm-util.c b/tests/qtest/tpm-util.c
index 3ed6c8548a..5a33a6ef0f 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/tpm-util.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/tpm-util.c
@@ -237,12 +237,16 @@ void tpm_util_migrate(QTestState *who, const char *uri)
 void tpm_util_wait_for_migration_complete(QTestState *who)
 {
     while (true) {
+        QDict *rsp;
         QDict *rsp_return;
         bool completed;
         const char *status;
 
-        qtest_qmp_send(who, "{ 'execute': 'query-migrate' }");
-        rsp_return = qtest_qmp_receive_success(who, NULL, NULL);
+        rsp = qtest_qmp(who, "{ 'execute': 'query-migrate' }");
+        g_assert(qdict_haskey(rsp, "return"));
+        rsp_return = qdict_get_qdict(rsp, "return");
+
+        g_assert(!qdict_haskey(rsp_return, "error"));
         status = qdict_get_str(rsp_return, "status");
         completed = strcmp(status, "completed") == 0;
         g_assert_cmpstr(status, !=,  "failed");
