diff --git a/src/xen/xen_driver.c b/src/xen/xen_driver.c
index 9c96fcab46..68abb1759a 100644
--- a/src/xen/xen_driver.c
+++ b/src/xen/xen_driver.c
@@ -2272,7 +2272,7 @@ int
 xenRegister (void)
 {
     /* Ignore failures here. */
-    (void) xenHypervisorInit ();
+    (void) xenHypervisorInit (NULL);
 
 #ifdef WITH_LIBVIRTD
     if (virRegisterStateDriver (&state_driver) == -1) return -1;
diff --git a/src/xen/xen_hypervisor.c b/src/xen/xen_hypervisor.c
index b552e4745d..58ae6a3edb 100644
--- a/src/xen/xen_hypervisor.c
+++ b/src/xen/xen_hypervisor.c
@@ -1951,12 +1951,16 @@ virXen_getvcpusinfo(int handle, int id, unsigned int vcpu, virVcpuInfoPtr ipt,
 
 /**
  * xenHypervisorInit:
+ * @override_versions: pointer to optional struct xenHypervisorVersions with
+ *     version information used instead of automatic version detection.
  *
  * Initialize the hypervisor layer. Try to detect the kind of interface
  * used i.e. pre or post changeset 10277
+ *
+ * Returns 0 or -1 in case of failure
  */
 int
-xenHypervisorInit(void)
+xenHypervisorInit(struct xenHypervisorVersions *override_versions)
 {
     int fd, ret, cmd, errcode;
     hypercall_t hc;
@@ -2007,6 +2011,12 @@ xenHypervisorInit(void)
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (override_versions) {
+      hv_versions = *override_versions;
+      in_init = 0;
+      return 0;
+    }
+
     /* Xen hypervisor version detection begins. */
     ret = open(XEN_HYPERVISOR_SOCKET, O_RDWR);
     if (ret < 0) {
@@ -2188,7 +2198,7 @@ xenHypervisorOpen(virConnectPtr conn,
     virCheckFlags(VIR_CONNECT_RO, VIR_DRV_OPEN_ERROR);
 
     if (initialized == 0)
-        if (xenHypervisorInit() == -1)
+        if (xenHypervisorInit(NULL) == -1)
             return -1;
 
     priv->handle = -1;
diff --git a/src/xen/xen_hypervisor.h b/src/xen/xen_hypervisor.h
index cf8153ef06..77c6f74725 100644
--- a/src/xen/xen_hypervisor.h
+++ b/src/xen/xen_hypervisor.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ struct xenHypervisorVersions {
 };
 
 extern struct xenUnifiedDriver xenHypervisorDriver;
-int    xenHypervisorInit                 (void);
+int xenHypervisorInit(struct xenHypervisorVersions *override_versions);
 
 virCapsPtr xenHypervisorMakeCapabilities (virConnectPtr conn);
 
diff --git a/tests/xencapstest.c b/tests/xencapstest.c
index 9c1eba4d39..ca93857516 100644
--- a/tests/xencapstest.c
+++ b/tests/xencapstest.c
@@ -145,11 +145,21 @@ static int testXenppc64(const void *data ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED) {
 }
 
 
+/* Fake initialization data for xenHypervisorInit(). Must be initialized
+ * explicitly before the implicit call via virInitialize(). */
+static struct xenHypervisorVersions hv_versions = {
+    .hv = 0,
+    .hypervisor = 2,
+    .sys_interface = -1,
+    .dom_interface = -1,
+};
+
 static int
 mymain(void)
 {
     int ret = 0;
 
+    xenHypervisorInit(&hv_versions);
     virInitialize();
 
     if (virtTestRun("Capabilities for i686, no PAE, no HVM",