diff --git a/ciao-launcher/qemu.go b/ciao-launcher/qemu.go
index 53000ebe7..43e7d65ea 100644
--- a/ciao-launcher/qemu.go
+++ b/ciao-launcher/qemu.go
@@ -419,21 +419,45 @@ func launchQemuWithSpice(params []string, fds []*os.File, ipAddress string) (int
 	return port, err
 }
 
-func (q *qemu) startVM(vnicName, ipAddress string) error {
-
-	var fds []*os.File
-
-	glog.Info("Launching qemu")
-
-	vmImage := path.Join(q.instanceDir, "image.qcow2")
-	qmpSocket := path.Join(q.instanceDir, "socket")
+func generateQEMULaunchParams(cfg *vmConfig, isoPath, instanceDir string, networkParams []string) []string {
+	vmImage := path.Join(instanceDir, "image.qcow2")
+	qmpSocket := path.Join(instanceDir, "socket")
 	fileParam := fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=virtio,aio=threads,format=qcow2", vmImage)
-	isoParam := fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=virtio,media=cdrom", q.isoPath)
+	isoParam := fmt.Sprintf("file=%s,if=virtio,media=cdrom", isoPath)
 	qmpParam := fmt.Sprintf("unix:%s,server,nowait", qmpSocket)
 
 	params := make([]string, 0, 32)
 	params = append(params, "-drive", fileParam)
 	params = append(params, "-drive", isoParam)
+	params = append(params, networkParams...)
+
+	params = append(params, "-enable-kvm")
+	params = append(params, "-cpu", "host")
+	params = append(params, "-daemonize")
+	params = append(params, "-qmp", qmpParam)
+
+	if cfg.Mem > 0 {
+		memoryParam := fmt.Sprintf("%d", cfg.Mem)
+		params = append(params, "-m", memoryParam)
+	}
+	if cfg.Cpus > 0 {
+		cpusParam := fmt.Sprintf("cpus=%d", cfg.Cpus)
+		params = append(params, "-smp", cpusParam)
+	}
+
+	if !cfg.Legacy {
+		params = append(params, "-bios", qemuEfiFw)
+	}
+	return params
+}
+
+func (q *qemu) startVM(vnicName, ipAddress string) error {
+
+	var fds []*os.File
+
+	glog.Info("Launching qemu")
+
+	networkParams := make([]string, 0, 32)
 
 	if vnicName != "" {
 		if q.cfg.NetworkNode {
@@ -446,36 +470,20 @@ func (q *qemu) startVM(vnicName, ipAddress string) error {
 				return err
 			}
 			defer cleanupFds(fds, len(fds))
-			params = append(params, macvtapParam...)
+			networkParams = append(networkParams, macvtapParam...)
 		} else {
 			tapParam, err := computeTapParam(vnicName, q.cfg.VnicMAC)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			params = append(params, tapParam...)
+			networkParams = append(networkParams, tapParam...)
 		}
 	} else {
-		params = append(params, "-net", "nic,model=virtio")
-		params = append(params, "-net", "user")
+		networkParams = append(networkParams, "-net", "nic,model=virtio")
+		networkParams = append(networkParams, "-net", "user")
 	}
 
-	params = append(params, "-enable-kvm")
-	params = append(params, "-cpu", "host")
-	params = append(params, "-daemonize")
-	params = append(params, "-qmp", qmpParam)
-
-	if q.cfg.Mem > 0 {
-		memoryParam := fmt.Sprintf("%d", q.cfg.Mem)
-		params = append(params, "-m", memoryParam)
-	}
-	if q.cfg.Cpus > 0 {
-		cpusParam := fmt.Sprintf("cpus=%d", q.cfg.Cpus)
-		params = append(params, "-smp", cpusParam)
-	}
-
-	if !q.cfg.Legacy {
-		params = append(params, "-bios", qemuEfiFw)
-	}
+	params := generateQEMULaunchParams(q.cfg, q.isoPath, q.instanceDir, networkParams)
 
 	var err error
 
diff --git a/ciao-launcher/qemu_test.go b/ciao-launcher/qemu_test.go
index a333119fc..282c49068 100644
--- a/ciao-launcher/qemu_test.go
+++ b/ciao-launcher/qemu_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -126,3 +127,73 @@ func TestExtractImageInfo(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func genQEMUParams(networkParams []string) []string {
+	baseParams := []string{
+		"-drive",
+		"file=/var/lib/ciao/instance/1/image.qcow2,if=virtio,aio=threads,format=qcow2",
+		"-drive",
+		"file=/var/lib/ciao/instance/1/seed.iso,if=virtio,media=cdrom",
+	}
+	baseParams = append(baseParams, networkParams...)
+	baseParams = append(baseParams, "-enable-kvm", "-cpu", "host", "-daemonize",
+		"-qmp", "unix:/var/lib/ciao/instance/1/socket,server,nowait")
+
+	return baseParams
+}
+
+func TestGenerateQEMULaunchParams(t *testing.T) {
+	var cfg vmConfig
+
+	params := genQEMUParams(nil)
+	cfg.Legacy = true
+	genParams := generateQEMULaunchParams(&cfg, "/var/lib/ciao/instance/1/seed.iso",
+		"/var/lib/ciao/instance/1", nil)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(params, genParams) {
+		t.Fatalf("%s and %s do not match", params, genParams)
+	}
+
+	params = genQEMUParams(nil)
+	cfg.Legacy = false
+	cfg.Mem = 0
+	cfg.Cpus = 0
+	params = append(params, "-bios", qemuEfiFw)
+	genParams = generateQEMULaunchParams(&cfg, "/var/lib/ciao/instance/1/seed.iso",
+		"/var/lib/ciao/instance/1", nil)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(params, genParams) {
+		t.Fatalf("%s and %s do not match", params, genParams)
+	}
+
+	params = genQEMUParams(nil)
+	cfg.Mem = 100
+	cfg.Cpus = 0
+	cfg.Legacy = true
+	params = append(params, "-m", "100")
+	genParams = generateQEMULaunchParams(&cfg, "/var/lib/ciao/instance/1/seed.iso",
+		"/var/lib/ciao/instance/1", nil)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(params, genParams) {
+		t.Fatalf("%s and %s do not match", params, genParams)
+	}
+
+	params = genQEMUParams(nil)
+	cfg.Mem = 0
+	cfg.Cpus = 4
+	cfg.Legacy = true
+	params = append(params, "-smp", "cpus=4")
+	genParams = generateQEMULaunchParams(&cfg, "/var/lib/ciao/instance/1/seed.iso",
+		"/var/lib/ciao/instance/1", nil)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(params, genParams) {
+		t.Fatalf("%s and %s do not match", params, genParams)
+	}
+
+	netParams := []string{"-net", "nic,model=virtio", "-net", "user"}
+	params = genQEMUParams(netParams)
+	cfg.Mem = 0
+	cfg.Cpus = 0
+	cfg.Legacy = true
+	genParams = generateQEMULaunchParams(&cfg, "/var/lib/ciao/instance/1/seed.iso",
+		"/var/lib/ciao/instance/1", netParams)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(params, genParams) {
+		t.Fatalf("%s and %s do not match", params, genParams)
+	}
+}