diff --git a/lib/common.sh b/lib/common.sh
index 8c020e0..4c674c7 100644
--- a/lib/common.sh
+++ b/lib/common.sh
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ in_flatpak() {
   [ -f /.flatpak-info ] || [ -n "${FLATPAK_ID:-}" ]
 }
 
+# Whether QEMU has the display the smoketest's VMs start with (-vga virtio).
+# Arch packages it apart from qemu-base, as qemu-hw-display-virtio-vga.
+qemu_has_virtio_vga() {
+  [[ "$(qemu-system-x86_64 -device help 2> /dev/null)" == *'name "virtio-vga"'* ]]
+}
+
 # This project's folder
 sibling_dir() {
   cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd
diff --git a/lib/doctor.sh b/lib/doctor.sh
index 812929d..464d6f4 100644
--- a/lib/doctor.sh
+++ b/lib/doctor.sh
@@ -50,6 +50,15 @@ cmd_doctor() {
     problem "not installed: ${missing[*]}" "fix: bash $(sibling_dir)/update.sh"
   fi
 
+  if command -v qemu-system-x86_64 &> /dev/null; then
+    if qemu_has_virtio_vga; then
+      ok "QEMU has the virtio-vga display the smoketest's VMs use"
+    else
+      problem "QEMU has no virtio-vga display, so the smoketest's VMs won't start" \
+        "fix: bash $(sibling_dir)/update.sh"
+    fi
+  fi
+
   if [ -r /dev/kvm ] && [ -w /dev/kvm ]; then
     ok "KVM is available for the smoketest's virtual machines"
   else
diff --git a/lib/smoketest.sh b/lib/smoketest.sh
index bfc4c32..29dde45 100644
--- a/lib/smoketest.sh
+++ b/lib/smoketest.sh
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ require_vm_tools() {
     command -v "$tool" &> /dev/null \
       || die "$tool isn't installed. Install coredesktop-dev's packages: bash $(sibling_dir)/update.sh"
   done
+  qemu_has_virtio_vga \
+    || die "QEMU has no virtio-vga display. Install coredesktop-dev's packages: bash $(sibling_dir)/update.sh"
   [ -r "$KVM_DEVICE" ] && [ -w "$KVM_DEVICE" ] \
     || die "Can't use $KVM_DEVICE. Turn on virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) in the firmware settings."
 }
diff --git a/tests/doctor.bats b/tests/doctor.bats
index fae5db6..36aeba8 100644
--- a/tests/doctor.bats
+++ b/tests/doctor.bats
@@ -71,3 +71,15 @@ load test_helper
   [[ "$output" == *"Usage: coredesktop-dev doctor"* ]]
   not_called flatpak-spawn
 }
+
+@test "doctor reports QEMU without the virtio-vga display" {
+  make_working_copy
+  stub qemu-system-x86_64 'echo "name \"VGA\", bus PCI"'
+  run cdd doctor
+  [ "$status" -eq 1 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"PROBLEM  QEMU has no virtio-vga display"* ]]
+
+  stub qemu-system-x86_64 'echo "name \"virtio-vga\", bus PCI"'
+  run cdd doctor
+  [[ "$output" == *"ok       QEMU has the virtio-vga display"* ]]
+}
diff --git a/tests/install.bats b/tests/install.bats
index 16e6e56..77641b4 100644
--- a/tests/install.bats
+++ b/tests/install.bats
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ config() {
   [[ "$output" == *"is the deployed copy"* ]]
   [ "$(config)" = "WORKING_COPY=$(printf '%q' "$WC")" ]
   [ "$(readlink "$HOME/.local/bin/coredesktop-dev")" = "$PROJECT/bin/coredesktop-dev" ]
-  called install_packages shellcheck bats tea qemu-base libisoburn
+  called install_packages shellcheck bats tea qemu-base qemu-hw-display-virtio-vga libisoburn
 }
 
 @test "install refuses the deployed copy however it's spelled" {
diff --git a/tests/smoketest.bats b/tests/smoketest.bats
index 73f965f..5091108 100644
--- a/tests/smoketest.bats
+++ b/tests/smoketest.bats
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ setup() {
   git -C "$WC" rev-parse HEAD > "$STATE/images/installed.ref"
 
   # A VM is a sleep that lets go of bats' output pipes
-  stub qemu-system-x86_64 'while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do [ "$1" = -pidfile ] && pidfile="$2"; shift; done
+  stub qemu-system-x86_64 '[ "$*" = "-device help" ] && { echo "name \"virtio-vga\", bus PCI"; exit; }
+    while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do [ "$1" = -pidfile ] && pidfile="$2"; shift; done
     /usr/bin/sleep 300 > /dev/null 2>&1 3>&- &
     echo $! > "$pidfile"'
   stub qemu-img 'touch "${@: -1}"'
@@ -98,7 +99,16 @@ last_run() {
   run cdd smoketest run 10 nosuch
   [ "$status" -eq 1 ]
   [[ "$output" == *"No scenario called nosuch"* ]]
-  not_called qemu-system-x86_64
+  # Only the check for the virtio-vga display, no VM
+  [ -z "$(grep '^qemu-system-x86_64 ' "$STUB_LOG" | grep -v -- '-device help')" ]
+}
+
+@test "run stops before any VM when QEMU has no virtio-vga display" {
+  stub qemu-system-x86_64 'echo "name \"VGA\", bus PCI"'
+  run cdd smoketest run 10
+  [ "$status" -eq 1 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"QEMU has no virtio-vga display"* ]]
+  [ "$(grep -c '^qemu-system-x86_64 ' "$STUB_LOG")" -eq 1 ]
 }
 
 @test "each variant runs in its own VM" {
@@ -106,7 +116,7 @@ last_run() {
   [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
   [[ "$output" == *"PASS  30-variants @ one"* ]]
   [[ "$output" == *"PASS  30-variants @ two"* ]]
-  [ "$(grep -c '^qemu-system-x86_64 ' "$STUB_LOG")" -eq 2 ]
+  [ "$(grep '^qemu-system-x86_64 ' "$STUB_LOG" | grep -vc -- '-device help')" -eq 2 ]
   grep -q "variant two" "$(last_run)/30-variants@two/scenario.log"
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/update.bats b/tests/update.bats
index 080636c..9d279a4 100644
--- a/tests/update.bats
+++ b/tests/update.bats
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ HOOK_MARKER="# Installed by coredesktop-dev; remove with: coredesktop-dev hooks
 @test "update installs the packages and links the command, without asking anything" {
   run bash "$PROJECT/update.sh" < /dev/null
   [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
-  called install_packages shellcheck bats tea qemu-base libisoburn
+  called install_packages shellcheck bats tea qemu-base qemu-hw-display-virtio-vga libisoburn
   [ "$(readlink "$HOME/.local/bin/coredesktop-dev")" = "$PROJECT/bin/coredesktop-dev" ]
 }
 
diff --git a/update.sh b/update.sh
index 0eff59d..f559dac 100644
--- a/update.sh
+++ b/update.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ PACKAGES=(
   bats         # make test
   tea          # Gitea's CLI, for pull requests
   qemu-base    # the smoketest's virtual machines
+  qemu-hw-display-virtio-vga  # the VM's -vga virtio (qemu-base leaves it out)
   libisoburn   # xorriso, for the smoketest VM's cloud-init disk
 )