diff --git a/automation/build/ubuntu/xenial-xilinx.dockerfile b/automation/build/ubuntu/xenial-xilinx.dockerfile
index f03d62e8bd..6107d8b771 100644
--- a/automation/build/ubuntu/xenial-xilinx.dockerfile
+++ b/automation/build/ubuntu/xenial-xilinx.dockerfile
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
         git \
         gzip \
         file \
+        expect \
         && \
         apt-get autoremove -y && \
         apt-get clean && \
diff --git a/automation/gitlab-ci/test.yaml b/automation/gitlab-ci/test.yaml
index 3b339f387f..62dbed93d2 100644
--- a/automation/gitlab-ci/test.yaml
+++ b/automation/gitlab-ci/test.yaml
@@ -179,6 +179,8 @@ xilinx-smoke-dom0less-arm64-gcc-debug-gem-passthrough:

 xilinx-smoke-dom0-x86_64-gcc-debug:
   extends: .xilinx-x86_64
+  variables:
+    TEST_TIMEOUT: 500
   script:
     - ./automation/scripts/xilinx-smoke-dom0-x86_64.sh ping 2>&1 | tee ${LOGFILE}
   needs:
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp b/automation/scripts/console.exp
similarity index 50%
rename from automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp
rename to automation/scripts/console.exp
index 787f1f08cb..2cf31e7ac0 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp
+++ b/automation/scripts/console.exp
@@ -1,23 +1,29 @@
 #!/usr/bin/expect -f

-if {[info exists env(QEMU_TIMEOUT)]} {
-    set timeout $env(QEMU_TIMEOUT)
+if {[info exists env(TEST_TIMEOUT)]} {
+    set timeout $env(TEST_TIMEOUT)
 } else {
     set timeout 1500
 }

-log_file -a $env(QEMU_LOG)
+log_file -a $env(TEST_LOGFILE)

 match_max 10000

-eval spawn $env(QEMU_CMD)
+eval spawn $env(TEST_CMD_START)

 expect_after {
     -re "(.*)\r" {
-        exp_continue
+        exp_continue -continue_timer
+    }
+    timeout {
+        send_error "ERROR-Timeout!\n"
+        exit 1
+    }
+    eof {
+        send_error "ERROR-EOF!\n"
+        exit 1
     }
-    timeout {send_error "ERROR-Timeout!\n"; exit 1}
-    eof {send_error "ERROR-EOF!\n"; exit 1}
 }

 if {[info exists env(UBOOT_CMD)]} {
@@ -28,22 +34,21 @@ if {[info exists env(UBOOT_CMD)]} {

 if {[info exists env(LOG_MSG)]} {
     expect {
-        "$env(PASSED)" {
+        "$env(TEST_PASS_MSG)" {
             expect "$env(LOG_MSG)"
             exit 0
         }
         "$env(LOG_MSG)" {
-            expect "$env(PASSED)"
+            expect "$env(TEST_PASS_MSG)"
             exit 0
         }
     }
 }

 expect {
-    "$env(PASSED)" {
+    "$env(TEST_PASS_MSG)" {
         exit 0
     }
 }

 expect eof
-
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-alpine-x86_64.sh b/automation/scripts/qemu-alpine-x86_64.sh
index 42a89e86b0..b701b917a5 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-alpine-x86_64.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-alpine-x86_64.sh
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ EOF
 # Run the test
 rm -f smoke.serial
 set +e
-export QEMU_CMD="qemu-system-x86_64 \
+export TEST_CMD_START="qemu-system-x86_64 \
     -cpu qemu64,+svm \
     -m 2G -smp 2 \
     -monitor none -serial stdio \
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ export QEMU_CMD="qemu-system-x86_64 \
     -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=n0 \
     -netdev user,id=n0,tftp=binaries,bootfile=/pxelinux.0"

-export QEMU_LOG="smoke.serial"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="smoke.serial"
 export LOG_MSG="Domain-0"
-export PASSED="BusyBox"
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="BusyBox"

-./automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
+./automation/scripts/console.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0-arm32.sh b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0-arm32.sh
index fd64b19358..ea68f9973e 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0-arm32.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0-arm32.sh
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ bash imagebuilder/scripts/uboot-script-gen -t tftp -d . -c config

 rm -f ${serial_log}
 set +e
-export QEMU_CMD="./qemu-system-arm \
+export TEST_CMD_START="./qemu-system-arm \
    -machine virt \
    -machine virtualization=true \
    -smp 4 \
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ export QEMU_CMD="./qemu-system-arm \
    -bios /usr/lib/u-boot/qemu_arm/u-boot.bin"

 export UBOOT_CMD="virtio scan; dhcp; tftpb 0x40000000 boot.scr; source 0x40000000"
-export QEMU_LOG="${serial_log}"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="${serial_log}"
 export LOG_MSG="Domain-0"
-export PASSED="/ #"
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="/ #"

-../automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
+../automation/scripts/console.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0-arm64.sh b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0-arm64.sh
index e0cea742b0..2ddb20b219 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0-arm64.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0-arm64.sh
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ bash imagebuilder/scripts/uboot-script-gen -t tftp -d binaries/ -c binaries/conf
 # Run the test
 rm -f smoke.serial
 set +e
-export QEMU_CMD="./binaries/qemu-system-aarch64 \
+export TEST_CMD_START="./binaries/qemu-system-aarch64 \
     -machine virtualization=true \
     -cpu cortex-a57 -machine type=virt \
     -m 2048 -monitor none -serial stdio \
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@ export QEMU_CMD="./binaries/qemu-system-aarch64 \
     -bios /usr/lib/u-boot/qemu_arm64/u-boot.bin"

 export UBOOT_CMD="virtio scan; dhcp; tftpb 0x40000000 boot.scr; source 0x40000000"
-export QEMU_LOG="smoke.serial"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="smoke.serial"
 export LOG_MSG="Domain-0"
-export PASSED="BusyBox"
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="BusyBox"

-./automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
+./automation/scripts/console.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0less-arm32.sh b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0less-arm32.sh
index e824cb7c2a..fedc37d644 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0less-arm32.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0less-arm32.sh
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ bash imagebuilder/scripts/uboot-script-gen -t tftp -d . -c config
 # Run the test
 rm -f ${serial_log}
 set +e
-export QEMU_CMD="./qemu-system-arm \
+export TEST_CMD_START="./qemu-system-arm \
     -machine virt \
     -machine virtualization=true \
     -smp 4 \
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ export QEMU_CMD="./qemu-system-arm \
     -bios /usr/lib/u-boot/qemu_arm/u-boot.bin"

 export UBOOT_CMD="virtio scan; dhcp; tftpb 0x40000000 boot.scr; source 0x40000000"
-export QEMU_LOG="${serial_log}"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="${serial_log}"
 export LOG_MSG="${dom0_prompt}"
-export PASSED="${passed}"
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="${passed}"

-../automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
+../automation/scripts/console.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0less-arm64.sh b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0less-arm64.sh
index f42ba5d196..0885bd0179 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0less-arm64.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-dom0less-arm64.sh
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ bash imagebuilder/scripts/uboot-script-gen -t tftp -d binaries/ -c binaries/conf
 # Run the test
 rm -f smoke.serial
 set +e
-export QEMU_CMD="./binaries/qemu-system-aarch64 \
+export TEST_CMD_START="./binaries/qemu-system-aarch64 \
     -machine virtualization=true \
     -cpu cortex-a57 -machine type=virt,gic-version=$gic_version \
     -m 2048 -monitor none -serial stdio \
@@ -216,8 +216,8 @@ export QEMU_CMD="./binaries/qemu-system-aarch64 \
     -bios /usr/lib/u-boot/qemu_arm64/u-boot.bin"

 export UBOOT_CMD="virtio scan; dhcp; tftpb 0x40000000 boot.scr; source 0x40000000"
-export QEMU_LOG="smoke.serial"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="smoke.serial"
 export LOG_MSG="Welcome to Alpine Linux"
-export PASSED="${passed}"
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="${passed}"

-./automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
+./automation/scripts/console.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-ppc64le.sh b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-ppc64le.sh
index 594f92c19c..85f2181ddd 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-ppc64le.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-ppc64le.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ machine=$1
 rm -f ${serial_log}
 set +e

-export QEMU_CMD="qemu-system-ppc64 \
+export TEST_CMD_START="qemu-system-ppc64 \
     -bios skiboot.lid \
     -M $machine \
     -m 2g \
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export QEMU_CMD="qemu-system-ppc64 \
     -serial stdio \
     -kernel binaries/xen"

-export QEMU_LOG="${serial_log}"
-export PASSED="Hello, ppc64le!"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="${serial_log}"
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="Hello, ppc64le!"

-./automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
+./automation/scripts/console.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-riscv64.sh b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-riscv64.sh
index c2595f657f..c2b5914e3f 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-riscv64.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-riscv64.sh
@@ -6,14 +6,14 @@ set -ex
 rm -f smoke.serial
 set +e

-export QEMU_CMD="qemu-system-riscv64 \
+export TEST_CMD_START="qemu-system-riscv64 \
     -M virt \
     -smp 1 \
     -nographic \
     -m 2g \
     -kernel binaries/xen"

-export QEMU_LOG="smoke.serial"
-export PASSED="All set up"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="smoke.serial"
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="All set up"

-./automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
+./automation/scripts/console.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-x86-64.sh b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-x86-64.sh
index 3440b1761d..f792df3b7d 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-x86-64.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-smoke-x86-64.sh
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@ esac

 rm -f smoke.serial
 set +e
-export QEMU_CMD="qemu-system-x86_64 -nographic -kernel binaries/xen \
+export TEST_CMD_START="qemu-system-x86_64 -nographic -kernel binaries/xen \
         -initrd xtf/tests/example/$k \
         -append \"loglvl=all console=com1 noreboot console_timestamps=boot $extra\" \
         -m 512 -monitor none -serial stdio"

-export QEMU_LOG="smoke.serial"
-export PASSED="Test result: SUCCESS"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="smoke.serial"
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="Test result: SUCCESS"

-./automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
+./automation/scripts/console.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
diff --git a/automation/scripts/qemu-xtf-dom0less-arm64.sh b/automation/scripts/qemu-xtf-dom0less-arm64.sh
index 4042fe5060..0eceb4a74c 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/qemu-xtf-dom0less-arm64.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/qemu-xtf-dom0less-arm64.sh
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ bash imagebuilder/scripts/uboot-script-gen -t tftp -d binaries/ -c binaries/conf
 # Run the test
 rm -f smoke.serial
 set +e
-export QEMU_CMD="./binaries/qemu-system-aarch64 \
+export TEST_CMD_START="./binaries/qemu-system-aarch64 \
     -machine virtualization=true \
     -cpu cortex-a57 -machine type=virt \
     -m 2048 -monitor none -serial stdio \
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export QEMU_CMD="./binaries/qemu-system-aarch64 \
     -bios /usr/lib/u-boot/qemu_arm64/u-boot.bin"

 export UBOOT_CMD="virtio scan; dhcp; tftpb 0x40000000 boot.scr; source 0x40000000"
-export QEMU_LOG="smoke.serial"
-export PASSED="${passed}"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="smoke.serial"
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="${passed}"

-./automation/scripts/qemu-key.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
+./automation/scripts/console.exp | sed 's/\r\+$//'
diff --git a/automation/scripts/xilinx-smoke-dom0-x86_64.sh b/automation/scripts/xilinx-smoke-dom0-x86_64.sh
index 4559e2b9ee..144d9e73a1 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/xilinx-smoke-dom0-x86_64.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/xilinx-smoke-dom0-x86_64.sh
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ memory = 512
 vif = [ "bridge=xenbr0", ]
 disk = [ ]
 '
-TIMEOUT_SECONDS=200

 # Select test variant.
 if [ "${TEST}" = "ping" ]; then
@@ -125,20 +124,20 @@ boot

 # Power cycle board and collect serial port output.
 SERIAL_DEV="/dev/serial/${TEST_BOARD}"
-SERIAL_CMD="cat ${SERIAL_DEV} | tee smoke.serial | sed 's/\r//'"
 sh /scratch/gitlab-runner/${TEST_BOARD}.sh 2
 sleep 5
 sh /scratch/gitlab-runner/${TEST_BOARD}.sh 1
 sleep 5
 set +e
 stty -F ${SERIAL_DEV} 115200
-timeout -k 1 ${TIMEOUT_SECONDS} nohup sh -c "${SERIAL_CMD}"
-sh /scratch/gitlab-runner/${TEST_BOARD}.sh 2
-
-set -e

-if grep -q "${PASS_MSG}" smoke.serial; then
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-fatal "Test failed"
+# Capture the test result and power off board before exiting.
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="${PASS_MSG}"
+export TEST_CMD_START="cat ${SERIAL_DEV}"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="smoke.serial"
+mkfifo console
+sed 's/\r\+$//' < console &
+./automation/scripts/console.exp > console
+TEST_RESULT=$?
+sh /scratch/gitlab-runner/${TEST_BOARD}.sh 2
+exit ${TEST_RESULT}
diff --git a/automation/scripts/xilinx-smoke-dom0less-arm64.sh b/automation/scripts/xilinx-smoke-dom0less-arm64.sh
index 18aa07f0a2..3a852e0798 100755
--- a/automation/scripts/xilinx-smoke-dom0less-arm64.sh
+++ b/automation/scripts/xilinx-smoke-dom0less-arm64.sh
@@ -137,13 +137,15 @@ cd $START
 SERIAL_DEV="/dev/serial/zynq"
 set +e
 stty -F ${SERIAL_DEV} 115200
-timeout -k 1 120 nohup sh -c "cat ${SERIAL_DEV} | tee smoke.serial | sed 's/\r//'"

-# stop the board
-cd /scratch/gitlab-runner
-bash zcu102.sh 2
-cd $START
-
-set -e
-(grep -q "^Welcome to Alpine Linux" smoke.serial && grep -q "${passed}" smoke.serial) || exit 1
-exit 0
+# Capture the test result and power off board before exiting.
+export TEST_PASS_MSG="${passed}"
+export LOG_MSG="Welcome to Alpine Linux"
+export TEST_CMD_START="cat ${SERIAL_DEV}"
+export TEST_LOGFILE="smoke.serial"
+mkfifo console
+sed 's/\r\+$//' < console &
+./automation/scripts/console.exp > console
+TEST_RESULT=$?
+sh /scratch/gitlab-runner/zcu102.sh 2
+exit ${TEST_RESULT}
