diff --git a/tests/testutilsqemu.c b/tests/testutilsqemu.c
index 9671a46f12..3222d7864c 100644
--- a/tests/testutilsqemu.c
+++ b/tests/testutilsqemu.c
@@ -674,3 +674,66 @@ testQemuCapsSetGIC(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
 }
 
 #endif
+
+
+char *
+testQemuGetLatestCapsForArch(const char *dirname,
+                             const char *arch,
+                             const char *suffix)
+{
+    struct dirent *ent;
+    DIR *dir = NULL;
+    int rc;
+    char *fullsuffix = NULL;
+    char *tmp = NULL;
+    unsigned long maxver = 0;
+    unsigned long ver;
+    const char *maxname = NULL;
+    char *ret = NULL;
+
+    if (virAsprintf(&fullsuffix, "%s.%s", arch, suffix) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (virDirOpen(&dir, dirname) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    while ((rc = virDirRead(dir, &ent, dirname)) > 0) {
+        VIR_FREE(tmp);
+
+        if ((rc = VIR_STRDUP(tmp, STRSKIP(ent->d_name, "caps_"))) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+
+        if (rc == 0)
+            continue;
+
+        if (virFileStripSuffix(tmp, fullsuffix) != 1)
+            continue;
+
+        if (virParseVersionString(tmp, &ver, false) < 0) {
+            VIR_TEST_DEBUG("skipping caps file '%s'\n", ent->d_name);
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if (ver > maxver) {
+            maxname = ent->d_name;
+            maxver = ver;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (rc < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (!maxname) {
+        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("failed to find capabilities for '%s' in '%s'\n",
+                         arch, dirname);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    ignore_value(virAsprintf(&ret, "%s/%s", dirname, maxname));
+
+ cleanup:
+    VIR_FREE(tmp);
+    VIR_FREE(fullsuffix);
+    virDirClose(&dir);
+    return ret;
+}
diff --git a/tests/testutilsqemu.h b/tests/testutilsqemu.h
index 7ae8324933..efb1baeadd 100644
--- a/tests/testutilsqemu.h
+++ b/tests/testutilsqemu.h
@@ -39,4 +39,9 @@ int qemuTestCapsCacheInsert(virFileCachePtr cache,
 
 int testQemuCapsSetGIC(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
                        int gic);
+
+char *testQemuGetLatestCapsForArch(const char *dirname,
+                                   const char *arch,
+                                   const char *suffix);
+
 #endif