diff --git a/tests/virnetsockettest.c b/tests/virnetsockettest.c
index c36886137a..9f9a243484 100644
--- a/tests/virnetsockettest.c
+++ b/tests/virnetsockettest.c
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ mymain(void)
     struct testSSHData sshData1 = {
         .nodename = "somehost",
         .path = "/tmp/socket",
-        .expectOut = "somehost sh -c 'if 'nc' -q 2>&1 | grep \"requires an argument\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
+        .expectOut = "-- somehost sh -c 'if 'nc' -q 2>&1 | grep \"requires an argument\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
                                          "ARG=-q0;"
                                      "else "
                                          "ARG=;"
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ mymain(void)
         .noTTY = true,
         .noVerify = false,
         .path = "/tmp/socket",
-        .expectOut = "-p 9000 -l fred -T -o BatchMode=yes -e none somehost sh -c '"
+        .expectOut = "-p 9000 -l fred -T -o BatchMode=yes -e none -- somehost sh -c '"
                      "if 'netcat' -q 2>&1 | grep \"requires an argument\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
                          "ARG=-q0;"
                      "else "
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ mymain(void)
         .noTTY = false,
         .noVerify = true,
         .path = "/tmp/socket",
-        .expectOut = "-p 9000 -l fred -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no somehost sh -c '"
+        .expectOut = "-p 9000 -l fred -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -- somehost sh -c '"
                      "if 'netcat' -q 2>&1 | grep \"requires an argument\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
                          "ARG=-q0;"
                      "else "
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ mymain(void)
     struct testSSHData sshData5 = {
         .nodename = "crashyhost",
         .path = "/tmp/socket",
-        .expectOut = "crashyhost sh -c "
+        .expectOut = "-- crashyhost sh -c "
                      "'if 'nc' -q 2>&1 | grep \"requires an argument\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
                          "ARG=-q0;"
                      "else "
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ mymain(void)
         .path = "/tmp/socket",
         .keyfile = "/root/.ssh/example_key",
         .noVerify = true,
-        .expectOut = "-i /root/.ssh/example_key -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no example.com sh -c '"
+        .expectOut = "-i /root/.ssh/example_key -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -- example.com sh -c '"
                      "if 'nc' -q 2>&1 | grep \"requires an argument\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
                          "ARG=-q0;"
                      "else "
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ mymain(void)
         .nodename = "somehost",
         .netcat = "nc -4",
         .path = "/tmp/socket",
-        .expectOut = "somehost sh -c 'if ''nc -4'' -q 2>&1 | grep \"requires an argument\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
+        .expectOut = "-- somehost sh -c 'if ''nc -4'' -q 2>&1 | grep \"requires an argument\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
                                          "ARG=-q0;"
                                      "else "
                                          "ARG=;"