diff --git a/virtme/commands/run.py b/virtme/commands/run.py
index 8cecb07..29a86fe 100644
--- a/virtme/commands/run.py
+++ b/virtme/commands/run.py
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ def make_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
                    help='Use the specified busybox binary.')
 
     g = parser.add_argument_group(title='Virtualizer settings')
+    g.add_argument('--qemu-bin', action='store', default=None,
+                   help="Use specified QEMU binary.")
     g.add_argument('-q', '--qemu-opt', action='append', default=[],
                    help="Add a single QEMU argument.  Use this when --qemu-opts's greedy behavior is problematic.'")
     g.add_argument('--qemu-opts', action='store', nargs=argparse.REMAINDER,
@@ -285,7 +287,7 @@ def do_it() -> int:
     arch = architectures.get(args.arch)
     is_native = (args.arch == uname.machine)
 
-    qemu = qemu_helpers.Qemu(arch.qemuname)
+    qemu = qemu_helpers.Qemu(args.qemu_bin, arch.qemuname)
     qemu.probe()
 
     need_initramfs = args.force_initramfs or qemu.cannot_overmount_virtfs
diff --git a/virtme/qemu_helpers.py b/virtme/qemu_helpers.py
index 96ed693..76a597c 100644
--- a/virtme/qemu_helpers.py
+++ b/virtme/qemu_helpers.py
@@ -15,14 +15,20 @@ class Qemu(object):
     qemubin: str
     version: Optional[str]
 
-    def __init__(self, arch) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, qemubin, arch) -> None:
         self.arch = arch
 
-        qemubin = shutil.which('qemu-system-%s' % arch)
-        if qemubin is None and arch == os.uname().machine:
-            qemubin = shutil.which('qemu-kvm')
-        if qemubin is None:
-            raise ValueError('cannot find qemu for %s' % arch)
+        if not qemubin:
+            qemubin = shutil.which('qemu-system-%s' % arch)
+            if qemubin is None and arch == os.uname().machine:
+                qemubin = shutil.which('qemu-kvm')
+            if qemubin is None:
+                raise ValueError('cannot find qemu for %s' % arch)
+        else:
+            if not os.path.isfile(qemubin):
+                raise ValueError('specified qemu binary "%s" does not exist' % qemubin)
+            if not os.access(qemubin, os.X_OK):
+                raise ValueError('specified qemu binary "%s" is not executable' % qemubin)
 
         self.qemubin = qemubin
         self.version = None