diff --git a/test/run-qemu b/test/run-qemu
index 3c521a14..5dc61037 100755
--- a/test/run-qemu
+++ b/test/run-qemu
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@
 # We prefer kvm, kqemu, userspace in that order.
 
 export PATH=/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
+QEMU_CPU="${QEMU_CPU:-max}"
 
-[[ -x /usr/bin/qemu ]] && BIN=/usr/bin/qemu && ARGS=(-cpu max)
+[[ -x /usr/bin/qemu ]] && BIN=/usr/bin/qemu && ARGS=(-cpu "$QEMU_CPU")
 (lsmod | grep -q '^kqemu ') && BIN=/usr/bin/qemu && ARGS=(-kernel-kqemu -cpu host)
 [[ -c /dev/kvm && -x /usr/bin/kvm ]] && BIN=/usr/bin/kvm && ARGS=(-cpu host)
 [[ -c /dev/kvm && -x /usr/bin/qemu-kvm ]] && BIN=/usr/bin/qemu-kvm && ARGS=(-cpu host)
 [[ -c /dev/kvm && -x /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm ]] && BIN=/usr/libexec/qemu-kvm && ARGS=(-cpu host)
-[[ -x /usr/bin/qemu-system-$(uname -m) ]] && BIN=/usr/bin/qemu-system-$(uname -m) && ARGS=(-cpu max)
+[[ -x /usr/bin/qemu-system-$(uname -m) ]] && BIN=/usr/bin/qemu-system-$(uname -m) && ARGS=(-cpu "$QEMU_CPU")
 [[ -c /dev/kvm && -x /usr/bin/qemu-system-$(uname -m) ]] && BIN=/usr/bin/qemu-system-$(uname -m) && ARGS=(-enable-kvm -cpu host)
 
 [[ $BIN ]] || {
diff --git a/tools/test-github.sh b/tools/test-github.sh
index eab59dcc..1d61b8e3 100755
--- a/tools/test-github.sh
+++ b/tools/test-github.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ else
             cd /lib/modules
             ls -1 | tail -1
         )" \
+        QEMU_CPU="IvyBridge-v2" \
         DRACUT_NO_XATTR=1 \
         TEST_RUN_ID="$RUN_ID" \
         ${TESTS:+TESTS="$TESTS"} \