diff --git a/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py b/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py
index b06692a59df..687c5dc0cf6 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 
 sys.path.append(os.path.join(SOURCE_DIR, 'python'))
 
+from qemu.accel import kvm_available
+from qemu.accel import tcg_available
 from qemu.machine import QEMUMachine
 
 def is_readable_executable_file(path):
@@ -162,6 +164,28 @@ def _get_unique_tag_val(self, tag_name):
             return vals.pop()
         return None
 
+    def require_accelerator(self, accelerator):
+        """
+        Requires an accelerator to be available for the test to continue
+
+        It takes into account the currently set qemu binary.
+
+        If the check fails, the test is canceled.  If the check itself
+        for the given accelerator is not available, the test is also
+        canceled.
+
+        :param accelerator: name of the accelerator, such as "kvm" or "tcg"
+        :type accelerator: str
+        """
+        checker = {'tcg': tcg_available,
+                   'kvm': kvm_available}.get(accelerator)
+        if checker is None:
+            self.cancel("Don't know how to check for the presence "
+                        "of accelerator %s" % accelerator)
+        if not checker(qemu_bin=self.qemu_bin):
+            self.cancel("%s accelerator does not seem to be "
+                        "available" % accelerator)
+
     def setUp(self):
         self._vms = {}
 
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/boot_linux.py b/tests/acceptance/boot_linux.py
index 14e89d020d1..0d178038a09 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/boot_linux.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/boot_linux.py
@@ -12,15 +12,8 @@
 
 from avocado_qemu import LinuxTest, BUILD_DIR
 
-from qemu.accel import kvm_available
-from qemu.accel import tcg_available
-
 from avocado import skipIf
 
-ACCEL_NOT_AVAILABLE_FMT = "%s accelerator does not seem to be available"
-KVM_NOT_AVAILABLE = ACCEL_NOT_AVAILABLE_FMT % "KVM"
-TCG_NOT_AVAILABLE = ACCEL_NOT_AVAILABLE_FMT % "TCG"
-
 
 class BootLinuxX8664(LinuxTest):
     """
@@ -34,8 +27,7 @@ def test_pc_i440fx_tcg(self):
         :avocado: tags=machine:pc
         :avocado: tags=accel:tcg
         """
-        if not tcg_available(self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(TCG_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("tcg")
         self.vm.add_args("-accel", "tcg")
         self.launch_and_wait()
 
@@ -44,8 +36,7 @@ def test_pc_i440fx_kvm(self):
         :avocado: tags=machine:pc
         :avocado: tags=accel:kvm
         """
-        if not kvm_available(self.arch, self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(KVM_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("kvm")
         self.vm.add_args("-accel", "kvm")
         self.launch_and_wait()
 
@@ -54,8 +45,7 @@ def test_pc_q35_tcg(self):
         :avocado: tags=machine:q35
         :avocado: tags=accel:tcg
         """
-        if not tcg_available(self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(TCG_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("tcg")
         self.vm.add_args("-accel", "tcg")
         self.launch_and_wait()
 
@@ -64,8 +54,7 @@ def test_pc_q35_kvm(self):
         :avocado: tags=machine:q35
         :avocado: tags=accel:kvm
         """
-        if not kvm_available(self.arch, self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(KVM_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("kvm")
         self.vm.add_args("-accel", "kvm")
         self.launch_and_wait()
 
@@ -91,8 +80,7 @@ def test_virt_tcg(self):
         :avocado: tags=accel:tcg
         :avocado: tags=cpu:max
         """
-        if not tcg_available(self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(TCG_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("tcg")
         self.vm.add_args("-accel", "tcg")
         self.vm.add_args("-cpu", "max")
         self.vm.add_args("-machine", "virt,gic-version=2")
@@ -105,8 +93,7 @@ def test_virt_kvm_gicv2(self):
         :avocado: tags=cpu:host
         :avocado: tags=device:gicv2
         """
-        if not kvm_available(self.arch, self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(KVM_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("kvm")
         self.vm.add_args("-accel", "kvm")
         self.vm.add_args("-cpu", "host")
         self.vm.add_args("-machine", "virt,gic-version=2")
@@ -119,8 +106,7 @@ def test_virt_kvm_gicv3(self):
         :avocado: tags=cpu:host
         :avocado: tags=device:gicv3
         """
-        if not kvm_available(self.arch, self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(KVM_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("kvm")
         self.vm.add_args("-accel", "kvm")
         self.vm.add_args("-cpu", "host")
         self.vm.add_args("-machine", "virt,gic-version=3")
@@ -140,8 +126,7 @@ def test_pseries_tcg(self):
         :avocado: tags=machine:pseries
         :avocado: tags=accel:tcg
         """
-        if not tcg_available(self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(TCG_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("tcg")
         self.vm.add_args("-accel", "tcg")
         self.launch_and_wait()
 
@@ -159,7 +144,6 @@ def test_s390_ccw_virtio_tcg(self):
         :avocado: tags=machine:s390-ccw-virtio
         :avocado: tags=accel:tcg
         """
-        if not tcg_available(self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(TCG_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("tcg")
         self.vm.add_args("-accel", "tcg")
         self.launch_and_wait()
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py b/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py
index fc2b4fd6669..46fa65392a1 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@
 from avocado_qemu import wait_for_console_pattern
 from avocado.utils import ssh
 
-from qemu.accel import kvm_available
-
 
 def run_cmd(args):
     subp = subprocess.Popen(args,
@@ -260,8 +258,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.vm.add_args('-netdev', 'user,id=vnet,hostfwd=:127.0.0.1:0-:22',
                          '-device', 'virtio-net,netdev=vnet')
 
-        if not kvm_available(self.arch, self.qemu_bin):
-            self.cancel(KVM_NOT_AVAILABLE)
+        self.require_accelerator("kvm")
         self.vm.add_args('-accel', 'kvm')
 
     def tearDown(self):
