diff --git a/tests/hwsim/vm/parallel-vm.py b/tests/hwsim/vm/parallel-vm.py
index a2a60dd4f..07fa3d52e 100755
--- a/tests/hwsim/vm/parallel-vm.py
+++ b/tests/hwsim/vm/parallel-vm.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import curses
 import fcntl
 import logging
 import os
+import selectors
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import time
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ def get_failed(vm):
         failed += vm[i]['failed']
     return failed
 
-def vm_read_stdout(vm, i, test_queue):
+def vm_read_stdout(vm, test_queue):
     global total_started, total_passed, total_failed, total_skipped
     global rerun_failures
     global first_run_failures
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ def vm_read_stdout(vm, i, test_queue):
         if e.errno == errno.EAGAIN:
             return False
         raise
-    logger.debug("VM[%d] stdout.read[%s]" % (i, out))
+    logger.debug("VM[%d] stdout.read[%s]" % (vm['idx'], out))
     pending = vm['pending'] + out
     lines = []
     while True:
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ def vm_read_stdout(vm, i, test_queue):
             break
         line = pending[0:pos].rstrip()
         pending = pending[(pos + 1):]
-        logger.debug("VM[%d] stdout full line[%s]" % (i, line))
+        logger.debug("VM[%d] stdout full line[%s]" % (vm['idx'], line))
         if line.startswith("READY"):
             vm['starting'] = False
             vm['started'] = True
@@ -124,14 +125,15 @@ def vm_read_stdout(vm, i, test_queue):
             total_failed += 1
             vals = line.split(' ')
             if len(vals) < 2:
-                logger.info("VM[%d] incomplete FAIL line: %s" % (i, line))
+                logger.info("VM[%d] incomplete FAIL line: %s" % (vm['idx'],
+                                                                 line))
                 name = line
             else:
                 name = vals[1]
-            logger.debug("VM[%d] test case failed: %s" % (i, name))
+            logger.debug("VM[%d] test case failed: %s" % (vm['idx'], name))
             vm['failed'].append(name)
             if name != vm['current_name']:
-                logger.info("VM[%d] test result mismatch: %s (expected %s)" % (i, name, vm['current_name']))
+                logger.info("VM[%d] test result mismatch: %s (expected %s)" % (vm['idx'], name, vm['current_name']))
             else:
                 count = vm['current_count']
                 if count == 0:
@@ -142,7 +144,7 @@ def vm_read_stdout(vm, i, test_queue):
         elif line.startswith("NOT-FOUND"):
             ready = True
             total_failed += 1
-            logger.info("VM[%d] test case not found" % i)
+            logger.info("VM[%d] test case not found" % vm['idx'])
         elif line.startswith("SKIP"):
             ready = True
             total_skipped += 1
@@ -159,7 +161,8 @@ def vm_read_stdout(vm, i, test_queue):
     vm['pending'] = pending
     return ready
 
-def start_vm(vm):
+def start_vm(vm, sel):
+    logger.info("VM[%d] starting up" % (vm['idx'] + 1))
     vm['starting'] = True
     vm['proc'] = subprocess.Popen(vm['cmd'],
                                   stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
@@ -170,6 +173,7 @@ def start_vm(vm):
         fd = stream.fileno()
         fl = fcntl.fcntl(fd, fcntl.F_GETFL)
         fcntl.fcntl(fd, fcntl.F_SETFL, fl | os.O_NONBLOCK)
+        sel.register(stream, selectors.EVENT_READ, vm)
 
 def num_vm_starting():
     count = 0
@@ -178,6 +182,99 @@ def num_vm_starting():
             count += 1
     return count
 
+def vm_read_stderr(vm):
+    try:
+        err = vm['proc'].stderr.read()
+        if err != None:
+            err = err.decode()
+            if len(err) > 0:
+                vm['err'] += err
+                logger.info("VM[%d] stderr.read[%s]" % (vm['idx'], err))
+    except IOError as e:
+        if e.errno != errno.EAGAIN:
+            raise
+
+def vm_next_step(_vm, scr, test_queue):
+    scr.move(_vm['idx'] + 1, 10)
+    scr.clrtoeol()
+    if not test_queue:
+        _vm['proc'].stdin.write(b'\n')
+        _vm['proc'].stdin.flush()
+        scr.addstr("shutting down")
+        logger.info("VM[%d] shutting down" % _vm['idx'])
+        return
+    (name, count) = test_queue.pop(0)
+    _vm['current_name'] = name
+    _vm['current_count'] = count
+    _vm['proc'].stdin.write(name.encode() + b'\n')
+    _vm['proc'].stdin.flush()
+    scr.addstr(name)
+    logger.debug("VM[%d] start test %s" % (_vm['idx'], name))
+
+def check_vm_start(scr, sel, test_queue):
+    running = False
+    updated = False
+    for i in range(num_servers):
+        if not vm[i]['proc']:
+            # Either not yet started or already stopped VM
+            if test_queue and vm[i]['cmd'] and num_vm_starting() < 2:
+                scr.move(i + 1, 10)
+                scr.clrtoeol()
+                scr.addstr(i + 1, 10, "starting VM")
+                updated = True
+                start_vm(vm[i], sel)
+            else:
+                continue
+
+        running = True
+    return running, updated
+
+def vm_terminated(_vm, scr, sel, test_queue):
+    updated = False
+    for stream in [_vm['proc'].stdout, _vm['proc'].stderr]:
+        sel.unregister(stream)
+    _vm['proc'] = None
+    scr.move(_vm['idx'] + 1, 10)
+    scr.clrtoeol()
+    log = '{}/{}.srv.{}/console'.format(dir, timestamp, _vm['idx'] + 1)
+    with open(log, 'r') as f:
+        if "Kernel panic" in f.read():
+            scr.addstr("kernel panic")
+            logger.info("VM[%d] kernel panic" % _vm['idx'])
+            updated = True
+    if test_queue:
+        num_vm = 0
+        for i in range(num_servers):
+            if _vm['proc']:
+                num_vm += 1
+        if len(test_queue) > num_vm:
+            scr.addstr("unexpected exit")
+            logger.info("VM[%d] unexpected exit" % i)
+            updated = True
+    return updated
+
+def update_screen(scr, total_tests):
+    scr.move(num_servers + 1, 10)
+    scr.clrtoeol()
+    scr.addstr("{} %".format(int(100.0 * (total_passed + total_failed + total_skipped) / total_tests)))
+    scr.addstr(num_servers + 1, 20,
+               "TOTAL={} STARTED={} PASS={} FAIL={} SKIP={}".format(total_tests, total_started, total_passed, total_failed, total_skipped))
+    failed = get_failed(vm)
+    if len(failed) > 0:
+        scr.move(num_servers + 2, 0)
+        scr.clrtoeol()
+        scr.addstr("Failed test cases: ")
+        count = 0
+        for f in failed:
+            count += 1
+            if count > 30:
+                scr.addstr('...')
+                scr.clrtoeol()
+                break
+            scr.addstr(f)
+            scr.addstr(' ')
+    scr.refresh()
+
 def show_progress(scr):
     global num_servers
     global vm
@@ -188,10 +285,11 @@ def show_progress(scr):
     global total_started, total_passed, total_failed, total_skipped
     global rerun_failures
 
+    sel = selectors.DefaultSelector()
     total_tests = len(tests)
     logger.info("Total tests: %d" % total_tests)
     test_queue = [(t, 0) for t in tests]
-    start_vm(vm[0])
+    start_vm(vm[0], sel)
 
     scr.leaveok(1)
     scr.addstr(0, 0, "Parallel test execution status", curses.A_BOLD)
@@ -204,105 +302,27 @@ def show_progress(scr):
     scr.refresh()
 
     while True:
-        running = False
         updated = False
-
-        for i in range(num_servers):
-            if not vm[i]['proc']:
-                if test_queue and vm[i]['cmd'] and num_vm_starting() < 2:
-                    scr.move(i + 1, 10)
-                    scr.clrtoeol()
-                    scr.addstr(i + 1, 10, "starting VM")
-                    updated = True
-                    start_vm(vm[i])
+        events = sel.select(timeout=1)
+        for key, mask in events:
+            _vm = key.data
+            if not _vm['proc']:
                 continue
-            if vm[i]['proc'].poll() is not None:
-                vm[i]['proc'] = None
-                scr.move(i + 1, 10)
-                scr.clrtoeol()
-                log = '{}/{}.srv.{}/console'.format(dir, timestamp, i + 1)
-                with open(log, 'r') as f:
-                    if "Kernel panic" in f.read():
-                        scr.addstr("kernel panic")
-                        logger.info("VM[%d] kernel panic" % i)
-                        updated = True
-                    if test_queue:
-                        num_vm = 0
-                        for i in range(num_servers):
-                            if vm[i]['proc']:
-                                num_vm += 1
-                        if len(test_queue) > num_vm:
-                            scr.addstr("unexpected exit")
-                            logger.info("VM[%d] unexpected exit" % i)
-                            updated = True
-                continue
-
-            running = True
-            try:
-                err = vm[i]['proc'].stderr.read()
-                if err != None:
-                    err = err.decode()
-                    vm[i]['err'] += err
-                    logger.info("VM[%d] stderr.read[%s]" % (i, err))
-            except IOError as e:
-                if e.errno != errno.EAGAIN:
-                    raise
-
-            if vm_read_stdout(vm[i], i, test_queue):
-                scr.move(i + 1, 10)
-                scr.clrtoeol()
+            vm_read_stderr(_vm)
+            if vm_read_stdout(_vm, test_queue):
+                vm_next_step(_vm, scr, test_queue)
                 updated = True
-                if not test_queue:
-                    vm[i]['proc'].stdin.write(b'\n')
-                    vm[i]['proc'].stdin.flush()
-                    scr.addstr("shutting down")
-                    logger.info("VM[%d] shutting down" % i)
-                    continue
-                else:
-                    (name, count) = test_queue.pop(0)
-                    vm[i]['current_name'] = name
-                    vm[i]['current_count'] = count
-                    vm[i]['proc'].stdin.write(name.encode() + b'\n')
-                    vm[i]['proc'].stdin.flush()
-                    scr.addstr(name)
-                    logger.debug("VM[%d] start test %s" % (i, name))
-
-            try:
-                err = vm[i]['proc'].stderr.read()
-                if err != None:
-                    err = err.decode()
-                    vm[i]['err'] += err
-                    logger.debug("VM[%d] stderr.read[%s]" % (i, err))
-            except IOError as e:
-                if e.errno != errno.EAGAIN:
-                    raise
+            vm_read_stderr(_vm)
+            if _vm['proc'].poll() is not None:
+                if vm_terminated(_vm, scr, sel, test_queue):
+                    updated = True
 
+        running, run_update = check_vm_start(scr, sel, test_queue)
+        if updated or run_update:
+            update_screen(scr, total_tests)
         if not running:
             break
-
-        if updated:
-            scr.move(num_servers + 1, 10)
-            scr.clrtoeol()
-            scr.addstr("{} %".format(int(100.0 * (total_passed + total_failed + total_skipped) / total_tests)))
-            scr.addstr(num_servers + 1, 20, "TOTAL={} STARTED={} PASS={} FAIL={} SKIP={}".format(total_tests, total_started, total_passed, total_failed, total_skipped))
-            failed = get_failed(vm)
-            if len(failed) > 0:
-                scr.move(num_servers + 2, 0)
-                scr.clrtoeol()
-                scr.addstr("Failed test cases: ")
-                count = 0
-                for f in failed:
-                    count += 1
-                    if count > 30:
-                        scr.addstr('...')
-                        scr.clrtoeol()
-                        break
-                    scr.addstr(f)
-                    scr.addstr(' ')
-
-            scr.refresh()
-
-        time.sleep(0.25)
+    sel.close()
 
     for i in range(num_servers):
         if not vm[i]['proc']:
@@ -436,9 +456,6 @@ def main():
 
     vm = {}
     for i in range(0, num_servers):
-        print("\rStarting virtual machine {}/{}".format(i + 1, num_servers),
-              end='')
-        logger.info("Starting virtual machine {}/{}".format(i + 1, num_servers))
         cmd = [os.path.join(scriptsdir, 'vm-run.sh'),
                '--timestamp', str(timestamp),
                '--ext', 'srv.%d' % (i + 1),
@@ -446,6 +463,7 @@ def main():
         if args.telnet:
             cmd += ['--telnet', str(args.telnet + i)]
         vm[i] = {}
+        vm[i]['idx'] = i
         vm[i]['starting'] = False
         vm[i]['started'] = False
         vm[i]['cmd'] = cmd