diff --git a/src/vmware/vmware_conf.c b/src/vmware/vmware_conf.c
index 261a4f6e5d..c11c92d34f 100644
--- a/src/vmware/vmware_conf.c
+++ b/src/vmware/vmware_conf.c
@@ -257,10 +257,30 @@ vmwareExtractVersion(struct vmware_driver *driver)
 {
     unsigned long version = 0;
     int ret = -1;
-    virCommandPtr cmd;
+    virCommandPtr cmd = NULL;
     char * outbuf = NULL;
-    const char * bin = (driver->type == VMWARE_DRIVER_PLAYER) ?
-                 "vmplayer" : "vmware";
+    char *bin = NULL;
+    char *vmwarePath = NULL;
+
+    if ((vmwarePath = mdir_name(driver->vmrun)) == NULL)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    switch (driver->type) {
+        case VMWARE_DRIVER_PLAYER:
+            if (virAsprintf(&bin, "%s/%s", vmwarePath, "vmplayer"))
+                goto cleanup;
+            break;
+
+        case VMWARE_DRIVER_WORKSTATION:
+            if (virAsprintf(&bin, "%s/%s", vmwarePath, "vmware"))
+                goto cleanup;
+            break;
+
+        default:
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                       _("invalid driver type for version detection"));
+            goto cleanup;
+    }
 
     cmd = virCommandNewArgList(bin, "-v", NULL);
     virCommandSetOutputBuffer(cmd, &outbuf);
@@ -276,6 +296,8 @@ vmwareExtractVersion(struct vmware_driver *driver)
 cleanup:
     virCommandFree(cmd);
     VIR_FREE(outbuf);
+    VIR_FREE(bin);
+    VIR_FREE(vmwarePath);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/vmware/vmware_driver.c b/src/vmware/vmware_driver.c
index 4e56971961..23576fa793 100644
--- a/src/vmware/vmware_driver.c
+++ b/src/vmware/vmware_driver.c
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ vmwareConnectOpen(virConnectPtr conn,
 {
     struct vmware_driver *driver;
     size_t i;
+    char *tmp;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_CONNECT_RO, VIR_DRV_OPEN_ERROR);
 
@@ -144,8 +145,25 @@ vmwareConnectOpen(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (virMutexInit(&driver->lock) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    driver->type = STRNEQ(conn->uri->scheme, "vmwareplayer") ?
-      VMWARE_DRIVER_WORKSTATION : VMWARE_DRIVER_PLAYER;
+    if ((tmp = STRSKIP(conn->uri->scheme, "vmware")) == NULL) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, _("unable to parse URI "
+                       "scheme '%s'"), conn->uri->scheme);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    driver->type = -1;
+    for (i = 0; i < VMWARE_DRIVER_LAST; i++) {
+        if (STREQ(tmp, vmwareDriverTypeToString(i))) {
+            driver->type = i;
+	    break;
+	}
+    }
+
+    if (driver->type == -1) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, _("unable to find valid "
+                       "requested VMware backend '%s'"), tmp);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
 
     if (!(driver->domains = virDomainObjListNew()))
         goto cleanup;