diff --git a/image_creator/os_type/windows.py b/image_creator/os_type/windows.py
index 20029a33c3461d798a8620643fbdfa02c2dd409b..6998d491ac623c56ed89889277d9d676620b58b4 100644
--- a/image_creator/os_type/windows.py
+++ b/image_creator/os_type/windows.py
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@
 Windows OSs."""
 
 from image_creator.os_type import OSBase, sysprep, add_sysprep_param
-from image_creator.util import FatalError, check_guestfs_version
+from image_creator.util import FatalError, check_guestfs_version, \
+    get_kvm_binary
 from image_creator.winexe import WinEXE, WinexeTimeout
 
 import hivex
@@ -762,8 +763,13 @@ class _VM(object):
         # Use ganeti's VNC port range for a random vnc port
         self.display = random.randint(11000, 14999) - 5900
 
+        kvm = get_kvm_binary()
+
+        if kvm is None:
+            FatalError("Can't find the kvm binary")
+
         args = [
-            'kvm', '-smp', '1', '-m', '1024', '-drive',
+            kvm, '-smp', '1', '-m', '1024', '-drive',
             'file=%s,format=raw,cache=unsafe,if=virtio' % self.disk,
             '-netdev', 'type=user,hostfwd=tcp::445-:445,id=netdev0',
             '-device', 'virtio-net-pci,mac=%s,netdev=netdev0' % random_mac(),
diff --git a/image_creator/util.py b/image_creator/util.py
index b2b5f55ef209f6015e0500ad0c771dba9efa5047..fcf5dd526fa9683c420b02f92439d319f6e215c3 100644
--- a/image_creator/util.py
+++ b/image_creator/util.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import sh
 import hashlib
 import time
 import os
+import re
 
 
 class FatalError(Exception):
@@ -63,6 +64,24 @@ def get_command(command):
         return find_sbin_command(command, e)
 
 
+def get_kvm_binary():
+    """Returns the path to the kvm binary"""
+
+    uname = get_command('uname')
+    which = get_command('which')
+
+    machine = str(uname('-m'))
+    if re.match('i[3-6]86', machine):
+        machine = 'i386'
+
+    binary = which('qemu-system-%s' % machine)
+
+    if binary is None:
+        return which('kvm')
+
+    return binary
+
+
 def try_fail_repeat(command, *args):
     """Execute a command multiple times until it succeeds"""
     times = (0.1, 0.5, 1, 2)