diff --git a/tests/vm/freebsd b/tests/vm/freebsd
index 091be1a065..2a19461a90 100755
--- a/tests/vm/freebsd
+++ b/tests/vm/freebsd
@@ -2,41 +2,203 @@
 #
 # FreeBSD VM image
 #
-# Copyright 2017 Red Hat Inc.
+# Copyright 2017-2019 Red Hat Inc.
 #
 # Authors:
 #  Fam Zheng <famz@redhat.com>
+#  Gerd Hoffmann <kraxel@redhat.com>
 #
 # This code is licensed under the GPL version 2 or later.  See
 # the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
 #
 
 import os
+import re
 import sys
+import time
+import socket
 import subprocess
 import basevm
 
 class FreeBSDVM(basevm.BaseVM):
     name = "freebsd"
     arch = "x86_64"
+
+    link = "https://download.freebsd.org/ftp/releases/ISO-IMAGES/12.0/FreeBSD-12.0-RELEASE-amd64-disc1.iso.xz"
+    csum = "1d40015bea89d05b8bd13e2ed80c40b522a9ec1abd8e7c8b80954fb485fb99db"
+    size = "20G"
+    pkgs = [
+        # build tools
+        "git",
+        "pkgconf",
+        "bzip2",
+
+        # gnu tools
+        "bash",
+        "gmake",
+        "gsed",
+        "flex", "bison",
+
+        # libs: crypto
+        "gnutls",
+
+        # libs: images
+        "jpeg-turbo",
+        "png",
+
+        # libs: ui
+        "sdl2",
+        "gtk3",
+        "libxkbcommon",
+
+        # libs: opengl
+        "libepoxy",
+        "mesa-libs",
+    ]
+
     BUILD_SCRIPT = """
         set -e;
-        rm -rf /var/tmp/qemu-test.*
-        cd $(mktemp -d /var/tmp/qemu-test.XXXXXX);
+        rm -rf /home/qemu/qemu-test.*
+        cd $(mktemp -d /home/qemu/qemu-test.XXXXXX);
+        mkdir src build; cd src;
         tar -xf /dev/vtbd1;
-        ./configure {configure_opts};
+        cd ../build
+        ../src/configure --python=python3.6 {configure_opts};
         gmake --output-sync -j{jobs} {target} {verbose};
     """
 
+    def console_boot_serial(self):
+        self.console_wait_send("Autoboot", "3")
+        self.console_wait_send("OK", "set console=comconsole\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("OK", "boot\n")
+
     def build_image(self, img):
-        cimg = self._download_with_cache("http://download.patchew.org/freebsd-11.1-amd64.img.xz",
-                sha256sum='adcb771549b37bc63826c501f05121a206ed3d9f55f49145908f7e1432d65891')
-        img_tmp_xz = img + ".tmp.xz"
+        self.print_step("Downloading install iso")
+        cimg = self._download_with_cache(self.link, sha256sum=self.csum)
         img_tmp = img + ".tmp"
-        sys.stderr.write("Extracting the image...\n")
-        subprocess.check_call(["ln", "-f", cimg, img_tmp_xz])
-        subprocess.check_call(["xz", "--keep", "-dvf", img_tmp_xz])
+        iso = img + ".install.iso"
+        iso_xz = iso + ".xz"
+
+        self.print_step("Preparing iso and disk image")
+        subprocess.check_call(["cp", "-f", cimg, iso_xz])
+        subprocess.check_call(["xz", "-dvf", iso_xz])
+        subprocess.check_call(["qemu-img", "create", "-f", "qcow2",
+                               img_tmp, self.size])
+
+        self.print_step("Booting installer")
+        self.boot(img_tmp, extra_args = [
+            "-bios", "pc-bios/bios-256k.bin",
+            "-machine", "graphics=off",
+            "-cdrom", iso
+        ])
+        self.console_init()
+        self.console_boot_serial()
+        self.console_wait_send("Console type",          "xterm\n")
+
+        # pre-install configuration
+        self.console_wait_send("Welcome",               "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Keymap Selection",      "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Set Hostname",          "freebsd\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Distribution Select",   "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Partitioning",          "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Partition",             "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Scheme",                "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Editor",                "f")
+        self.console_wait_send("Confirmation",          "c")
+
+        self.print_step("Installation started now, this will take a while")
+
+        # post-install configuration
+        self.console_wait("New Password:")
+        self.console_send("%s\n" % self.ROOT_PASS)
+        self.console_wait("Retype New Password:")
+        self.console_send("%s\n" % self.ROOT_PASS)
+
+        self.console_wait_send("Network Configuration", "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("IPv4",                  "y")
+        self.console_wait_send("DHCP",                  "y")
+        self.console_wait_send("IPv6",                  "n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Resolver",              "\n")
+
+        self.console_wait_send("Time Zone Selector",    "a\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Confirmation",          "y")
+        self.console_wait_send("Time & Date",           "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Time & Date",           "\n")
+
+        self.console_wait_send("System Configuration",  "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("System Hardening",      "\n")
+
+        # qemu user
+        self.console_wait_send("Add User Accounts", "y")
+        self.console_wait("Username")
+        self.console_send("%s\n" % self.GUEST_USER)
+        self.console_wait("Full name")
+        self.console_send("%s\n" % self.GUEST_USER)
+        self.console_wait_send("Uid",                   "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Login group",           "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Login group",           "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Login class",           "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Shell",                 "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Home directory",        "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Home directory perm",   "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Use password",          "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Use an empty password", "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Use a random password", "\n")
+        self.console_wait("Enter password:")
+        self.console_send("%s\n" % self.GUEST_PASS)
+        self.console_wait("Enter password again:")
+        self.console_send("%s\n" % self.GUEST_PASS)
+        self.console_wait_send("Lock out",              "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("OK",                    "yes\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Add another user",      "no\n")
+
+        self.console_wait_send("Final Configuration",   "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Manual Configuration",  "\n")
+        self.console_wait_send("Complete",              "\n")
+
+        self.print_step("Installation finished, rebooting")
+        self.console_boot_serial()
+
+        # setup qemu user
+        prompt = "$"
+        self.console_ssh_init(prompt, self.GUEST_USER, self.GUEST_PASS)
+        self.console_wait_send(prompt, "exit\n")
+
+        # setup root user
+        prompt = "root@freebsd:~ #"
+        self.console_ssh_init(prompt, "root", self.ROOT_PASS)
+        self.console_sshd_config(prompt)
+
+        # setup serial console
+        self.console_wait(prompt)
+        self.console_send("echo 'console=comconsole' >> /boot/loader.conf\n")
+
+        # setup boot delay
+        self.console_wait(prompt)
+        self.console_send("echo 'autoboot_delay=1' >> /boot/loader.conf\n")
+
+        # setup virtio-blk #1 (tarfile)
+        self.console_wait(prompt)
+        self.console_send("echo 'chmod 666 /dev/vtbd1' >> /etc/rc.local\n")
+
+        self.print_step("Configuration finished, rebooting")
+        self.console_wait_send(prompt, "reboot\n")
+        self.console_wait("login:")
+        self.wait_ssh()
+
+        self.print_step("Installing packages")
+        self.ssh_root_check("pkg install -y %s\n" % " ".join(self.pkgs))
+
+        # shutdown
+        self.ssh_root(self.poweroff)
+        self.console_wait("Uptime:")
+        self.wait()
+
+        if os.path.exists(img):
+            os.remove(img)
         os.rename(img_tmp, img)
+        os.remove(iso)
+        self.print_step("All done")
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     sys.exit(basevm.main(FreeBSDVM))
