diff --git a/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py b/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py
index 83b1741ec8..67f75f66e5 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/avocado_qemu/__init__.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 from avocado.utils import cloudinit
 from avocado.utils import datadrainer
 from avocado.utils import network
+from avocado.utils import ssh
 from avocado.utils import vmimage
 from avocado.utils.path import find_command
 
@@ -43,6 +44,8 @@
 from qemu.accel import kvm_available
 from qemu.accel import tcg_available
 from qemu.machine import QEMUMachine
+from qemu.utils import get_info_usernet_hostfwd_port
+
 
 def is_readable_executable_file(path):
     return os.path.isfile(path) and os.access(path, os.R_OK | os.X_OK)
@@ -253,7 +256,50 @@ def fetch_asset(self, name,
                         cancel_on_missing=cancel_on_missing)
 
 
-class LinuxTest(Test):
+class LinuxSSHMixIn:
+    """Contains utility methods for interacting with a guest via SSH."""
+
+    def ssh_connect(self, username, credential, credential_is_key=True):
+        self.ssh_logger = logging.getLogger('ssh')
+        res = self.vm.command('human-monitor-command',
+                              command_line='info usernet')
+        port = get_info_usernet_hostfwd_port(res)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(port)
+        self.assertGreater(port, 0)
+        self.log.debug('sshd listening on port: %d', port)
+        if credential_is_key:
+            self.ssh_session = ssh.Session('127.0.0.1', port=port,
+                                           user=username, key=credential)
+        else:
+            self.ssh_session = ssh.Session('127.0.0.1', port=port,
+                                           user=username, password=credential)
+        for i in range(10):
+            try:
+                self.ssh_session.connect()
+                return
+            except:
+                time.sleep(4)
+                pass
+        self.fail('ssh connection timeout')
+
+    def ssh_command(self, command):
+        self.ssh_logger.info(command)
+        result = self.ssh_session.cmd(command)
+        stdout_lines = [line.rstrip() for line
+                        in result.stdout_text.splitlines()]
+        for line in stdout_lines:
+            self.ssh_logger.info(line)
+        stderr_lines = [line.rstrip() for line
+                        in result.stderr_text.splitlines()]
+        for line in stderr_lines:
+            self.ssh_logger.warning(line)
+
+        self.assertEqual(result.exit_status, 0,
+                         f'Guest command failed: {command}')
+        return stdout_lines, stderr_lines
+
+
+class LinuxTest(Test, LinuxSSHMixIn):
     """Facilitates having a cloud-image Linux based available.
 
     For tests that indend to interact with guests, this is a better choice
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/linux_ssh_mips_malta.py b/tests/acceptance/linux_ssh_mips_malta.py
index 052008f02d..3f590a081f 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/linux_ssh_mips_malta.py
+++ b/tests/acceptance/linux_ssh_mips_malta.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import time
 
 from avocado import skipUnless
-from avocado_qemu import Test
+from avocado_qemu import Test, LinuxSSHMixIn
 from avocado_qemu import wait_for_console_pattern
 from avocado.utils import process
 from avocado.utils import archive
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 from qemu.utils import get_info_usernet_hostfwd_port
 
 
-class LinuxSSH(Test):
+class LinuxSSH(Test, LinuxSSHMixIn):
 
     timeout = 150 # Not for 'configure --enable-debug --enable-debug-tcg'
 
@@ -72,41 +72,9 @@ def get_kernel_info(self, endianess, wordsize):
     def setUp(self):
         super(LinuxSSH, self).setUp()
 
-    def ssh_connect(self, username, password):
-        self.ssh_logger = logging.getLogger('ssh')
-        res = self.vm.command('human-monitor-command',
-                              command_line='info usernet')
-        port = get_info_usernet_hostfwd_port(res)
-        if not port:
-            self.cancel("Failed to retrieve SSH port")
-        self.log.debug("sshd listening on port:" + port)
-        self.ssh_session = ssh.Session(self.VM_IP, port=int(port),
-                                       user=username, password=password)
-        for i in range(10):
-            try:
-                self.ssh_session.connect()
-                return
-            except:
-                time.sleep(4)
-                pass
-        self.fail("ssh connection timeout")
-
     def ssh_disconnect_vm(self):
         self.ssh_session.quit()
 
-    def ssh_command(self, command, is_root=True):
-        self.ssh_logger.info(command)
-        result = self.ssh_session.cmd(command)
-        stdout_lines = [line.rstrip() for line
-                        in result.stdout_text.splitlines()]
-        for line in stdout_lines:
-            self.ssh_logger.info(line)
-        stderr_lines = [line.rstrip() for line
-                        in result.stderr_text.splitlines()]
-        for line in stderr_lines:
-            self.ssh_logger.warning(line)
-        return stdout_lines, stderr_lines
-
     def boot_debian_wheezy_image_and_ssh_login(self, endianess, kernel_path):
         image_url, image_hash = self.get_image_info(endianess)
         image_path = self.fetch_asset(image_url, asset_hash=image_hash)
@@ -127,7 +95,7 @@ def boot_debian_wheezy_image_and_ssh_login(self, endianess, kernel_path):
         wait_for_console_pattern(self, console_pattern, 'Oops')
         self.log.info('sshd ready')
 
-        self.ssh_connect('root', 'root')
+        self.ssh_connect('root', 'root', False)
 
     def shutdown_via_ssh(self):
         self.ssh_command('poweroff')
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py b/tests/acceptance/virtiofs_submounts.py
index 57a7047342..bed8ce44df 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.utils import get_info_usernet_hostfwd_port
-
 
 def run_cmd(args):
     subp = subprocess.Popen(args,
@@ -75,41 +73,6 @@ class VirtiofsSubmountsTest(LinuxTest):
     :avocado: tags=accel:kvm
     """
 
-    def ssh_connect(self, username, keyfile):
-        self.ssh_logger = logging.getLogger('ssh')
-        res = self.vm.command('human-monitor-command',
-                              command_line='info usernet')
-        port = get_info_usernet_hostfwd_port(res)
-        self.assertIsNotNone(port)
-        self.assertGreater(port, 0)
-        self.log.debug('sshd listening on port: %d', port)
-        self.ssh_session = ssh.Session('127.0.0.1', port=port,
-                                       user=username, key=keyfile)
-        for i in range(10):
-            try:
-                self.ssh_session.connect()
-                return
-            except:
-                time.sleep(4)
-                pass
-        self.fail('ssh connection timeout')
-
-    def ssh_command(self, command):
-        self.ssh_logger.info(command)
-        result = self.ssh_session.cmd(command)
-        stdout_lines = [line.rstrip() for line
-                        in result.stdout_text.splitlines()]
-        for line in stdout_lines:
-            self.ssh_logger.info(line)
-        stderr_lines = [line.rstrip() for line
-                        in result.stderr_text.splitlines()]
-        for line in stderr_lines:
-            self.ssh_logger.warning(line)
-
-        self.assertEqual(result.exit_status, 0,
-                         f'Guest command failed: {command}')
-        return stdout_lines, stderr_lines
-
     def run(self, args, ignore_error=False):
         stdout, stderr, ret = run_cmd(args)
 
