diff --git a/qemu/tests/cfg/valgrind_memalign.cfg b/qemu/tests/cfg/valgrind_memalign.cfg
index c937e4617fcd0d08f45490bbcf470def6d749a2e..087264314d9c6cae0797f3f1f8991d30491b10c7 100644
--- a/qemu/tests/cfg/valgrind_memalign.cfg
+++ b/qemu/tests/cfg/valgrind_memalign.cfg
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@
     start_vm = no
     Ubuntu:
         valgrind_install_cmd = "apt-get install -y valgrind"
+    s390x:
+        # -cpu can't be set in TCG
+        cpu_model = ""
+        # s390 firmware quits when no-bootable devices (unlike x86)
+        extra_params += " -no-shutdown"
+        expected_status = "paused (shutdown)"
     images = ""
     nics = ""
     serials = ""
diff --git a/qemu/tests/valgrind_memalign.py b/qemu/tests/valgrind_memalign.py
index a27043ad44b437d41696bd7f2aa0939858052bec..59ec670d562560486c48e6c368a498fbd83c5fc1 100644
--- a/qemu/tests/valgrind_memalign.py
+++ b/qemu/tests/valgrind_memalign.py
@@ -47,9 +47,10 @@ def run(test, params, env):
 
     time.sleep(interval)
     error.context("Verify guest status is running after cont", logging.info)
-    vm.verify_status("running")
+    vm.verify_status(params.get("expected_status", "running"))
 
     error.context("Quit guest and check the process quit normally",
                   logging.info)
-    vm.destroy(gracefully=False)
+    vm.monitor.quit()
+    vm.wait_until_dead(5, 0.5, 0.5)
     vm.verify_userspace_crash()