diff --git a/.qemu_config b/.qemu_config
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..72396bb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.qemu_config
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+QEMU_RAM=128
+QEMU_CPUS=2
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a422a74d..2ad5a9ad 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -249,22 +249,22 @@ clean:
 # Check whether we can use kvm for qemu
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM),LINUX)
 ifneq ($(USE_KVM), false) # you can hard-disable KVM use with the USE_KVM environment variable
-HAVE_KVM=$(shell lsmod | awk '/^kvm / {print $$1}')
+HAVE_KVM=$(shell test -w /dev/kvm && echo kvm)
 endif # USE_KVM
 endif # SYSTEM == LINUX
 
 # Set qemu parameters
+QEMU_CONFIG := $(KTF_ROOT)/.qemu_config
+include $(QEMU_CONFIG)
+
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM)$(HAVE_KVM),LINUXkvm)
-QEMU_PARAMS := -cpu host
+QEMU_PARAMS := -cpu host -enable-kvm
 else
 QEMU_PARAMS := -cpu max
 endif
-ifeq ($(HAVE_KVM), kvm)
-QEMU_PARAMS += -enable-kvm
-endif # HAVE_KVM
-QEMU_PARAMS += -m 128
+QEMU_PARAMS += -m $(QEMU_RAM)
 QEMU_PARAMS += -serial stdio
-QEMU_PARAMS += -smp cpus=2
+QEMU_PARAMS += -smp cpus=$(QEMU_CPUS)
 QEMU_PARAMS_NOGFX := -display none -vga none -vnc none
 QEMU_PARAMS_GFX := $(QEMU_PARAMS)
 QEMU_PARAMS += $(QEMU_PARAMS_NOGFX)