diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index ff5a77b0e2..4cdbb80596 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -3177,6 +3177,10 @@ virTimeStringThenRaw;
 
 # util/virtpm.h
 virTPMCreateCancelPath;
+virTPMEmulatorInit;
+virTPMGetSwtpm;
+virTPMGetSwtpmIoctl;
+virTPMGetSwtpmSetup;
 
 
 # util/virtypedparam.h
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_tpm.c b/src/qemu/qemu_tpm.c
index cc8c69433b..7282b01bfe 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_tpm.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_tpm.c
@@ -41,79 +41,12 @@
 #include "configmake.h"
 #include "dirname.h"
 #include "qemu_tpm.h"
+#include "virtpm.h"
 
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_NONE
 
 VIR_LOG_INIT("qemu.tpm");
 
-/*
- * executables for the swtpm; to be found on the host
- */
-static char *swtpm_path;
-static char *swtpm_setup;
-static char *swtpm_ioctl;
-
-/*
- * qemuTPMEmulatorInit
- *
- * Initialize the Emulator functions by searching for necessary
- * executables that we will use to start and setup the swtpm
- */
-static int
-qemuTPMEmulatorInit(void)
-{
-    if (!swtpm_path) {
-        swtpm_path = virFindFileInPath("swtpm");
-        if (!swtpm_path) {
-            virReportSystemError(ENOENT, "%s",
-                                 _("Unable to find 'swtpm' binary in $PATH"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-        if (!virFileIsExecutable(swtpm_path)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                           _("TPM emulator %s is not an executable"),
-                           swtpm_path);
-            VIR_FREE(swtpm_path);
-            return -1;
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (!swtpm_setup) {
-        swtpm_setup = virFindFileInPath("swtpm_setup");
-        if (!swtpm_setup) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                           _("Could not find 'swtpm_setup' in PATH"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-        if (!virFileIsExecutable(swtpm_setup)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                           _("'%s' is not an executable"),
-                           swtpm_setup);
-            VIR_FREE(swtpm_setup);
-            return -1;
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (!swtpm_ioctl) {
-        swtpm_ioctl = virFindFileInPath("swtpm_ioctl");
-        if (!swtpm_ioctl) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                           _("Could not find swtpm_ioctl in PATH"));
-            return -1;
-        }
-        if (!virFileIsExecutable(swtpm_ioctl)) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                           _("swtpm_ioctl program %s is not an executable"),
-                           swtpm_ioctl);
-            VIR_FREE(swtpm_ioctl);
-            return -1;
-        }
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
-
 /*
  * qemuTPMCreateEmulatorStoragePath
  *
@@ -345,12 +278,13 @@ qemuTPMEmulatorGetPid(const char *swtpmStateDir,
                       pid_t *pid)
 {
     int ret;
+    VIR_AUTOFREE(char *) swtpm = virTPMGetSwtpm();
     char *pidfile = qemuTPMEmulatorCreatePidFilename(swtpmStateDir,
                                                      shortName);
     if (!pidfile)
         return -ENOMEM;
 
-    ret = virPidFileReadPathIfAlive(pidfile, pid, swtpm_path);
+    ret = virPidFileReadPathIfAlive(pidfile, pid, swtpm);
 
     VIR_FREE(pidfile);
 
@@ -386,7 +320,7 @@ qemuTPMEmulatorPrepareHost(virDomainTPMDefPtr tpm,
 {
     int ret = -1;
 
-    if (qemuTPMEmulatorInit() < 0)
+    if (virTPMEmulatorInit() < 0)
         return -1;
 
     /* create log dir ... allow 'tss' user to cd into it */
@@ -471,6 +405,10 @@ qemuTPMEmulatorRunSetup(const char *storagepath,
     int ret = -1;
     char uuid[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
     char *vmid = NULL;
+    VIR_AUTOFREE(char *)swtpm_setup = virTPMGetSwtpmSetup();
+
+    if (!swtpm_setup)
+        return -1;
 
     if (!privileged && tpmversion == VIR_DOMAIN_TPM_VERSION_1_2)
         return virFileWriteStr(logfile,
@@ -562,6 +500,10 @@ qemuTPMEmulatorBuildCommand(virDomainTPMDefPtr tpm,
     virCommandPtr cmd = NULL;
     bool created = false;
     char *pidfile;
+    VIR_AUTOFREE(char *) swtpm = virTPMGetSwtpm();
+
+    if (!swtpm)
+        return NULL;
 
     if (qemuTPMCreateEmulatorStorage(tpm->data.emulator.storagepath,
                                      &created, swtpm_user, swtpm_group) < 0)
@@ -575,7 +517,7 @@ qemuTPMEmulatorBuildCommand(virDomainTPMDefPtr tpm,
 
     unlink(tpm->data.emulator.source.data.nix.path);
 
-    cmd = virCommandNew(swtpm_path);
+    cmd = virCommandNew(swtpm);
     if (!cmd)
         goto error;
 
@@ -639,8 +581,12 @@ qemuTPMEmulatorStop(const char *swtpmStateDir,
     virCommandPtr cmd;
     char *pathname;
     char *errbuf = NULL;
+    VIR_AUTOFREE(char *) swtpm_ioctl = virTPMGetSwtpmIoctl();
 
-    if (qemuTPMEmulatorInit() < 0)
+    if (!swtpm_ioctl)
+        return;
+
+    if (virTPMEmulatorInit() < 0)
         return;
 
     if (!(pathname = qemuTPMCreateEmulatorSocket(swtpmStateDir, shortName)))
diff --git a/src/util/virtpm.c b/src/util/virtpm.c
index 583b9a64a4..d35848d2f2 100644
--- a/src/util/virtpm.c
+++ b/src/util/virtpm.c
@@ -72,3 +72,125 @@ virTPMCreateCancelPath(const char *devpath)
  cleanup:
     return path;
 }
+
+/*
+ * executables for the swtpm; to be found on the host
+ */
+static virMutex swtpm_tools_lock = VIR_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+static char *swtpm_path;
+static char *swtpm_setup;
+static char *swtpm_ioctl;
+
+char *
+virTPMGetSwtpm(void)
+{
+    char *s;
+
+    if (!swtpm_path && virTPMEmulatorInit() < 0)
+        return NULL;
+
+    virMutexLock(&swtpm_tools_lock);
+    ignore_value(VIR_STRDUP(s, swtpm_path));
+    virMutexUnlock(&swtpm_tools_lock);
+
+    return s;
+}
+
+char *
+virTPMGetSwtpmSetup(void)
+{
+    char *s;
+
+    if (!swtpm_setup && virTPMEmulatorInit() < 0)
+        return NULL;
+
+    virMutexLock(&swtpm_tools_lock);
+    ignore_value(VIR_STRDUP(s, swtpm_setup));
+    virMutexUnlock(&swtpm_tools_lock);
+
+    return s;
+}
+
+char *
+virTPMGetSwtpmIoctl(void)
+{
+    char *s;
+
+    if (!swtpm_ioctl && virTPMEmulatorInit() < 0)
+        return NULL;
+
+    virMutexLock(&swtpm_tools_lock);
+    ignore_value(VIR_STRDUP(s, swtpm_ioctl));
+    virMutexUnlock(&swtpm_tools_lock);
+
+    return s;
+}
+
+/*
+ * virTPMEmulatorInit
+ *
+ * Initialize the Emulator functions by searching for necessary
+ * executables that we will use to start and setup the swtpm
+ */
+int
+virTPMEmulatorInit(void)
+{
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    virMutexLock(&swtpm_tools_lock);
+
+    if (!swtpm_path) {
+        swtpm_path = virFindFileInPath("swtpm");
+        if (!swtpm_path) {
+            virReportSystemError(ENOENT, "%s",
+                                 _("Unable to find 'swtpm' binary in $PATH"));
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+        if (!virFileIsExecutable(swtpm_path)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                           _("TPM emulator %s is not an executable"),
+                           swtpm_path);
+            VIR_FREE(swtpm_path);
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!swtpm_setup) {
+        swtpm_setup = virFindFileInPath("swtpm_setup");
+        if (!swtpm_setup) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                           _("Could not find 'swtpm_setup' in PATH"));
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+        if (!virFileIsExecutable(swtpm_setup)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                           _("'%s' is not an executable"),
+                           swtpm_setup);
+            VIR_FREE(swtpm_setup);
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!swtpm_ioctl) {
+        swtpm_ioctl = virFindFileInPath("swtpm_ioctl");
+        if (!swtpm_ioctl) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                           _("Could not find swtpm_ioctl in PATH"));
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+        if (!virFileIsExecutable(swtpm_ioctl)) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                           _("swtpm_ioctl program %s is not an executable"),
+                           swtpm_ioctl);
+            VIR_FREE(swtpm_ioctl);
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+    }
+
+    ret = 0;
+
+ cleanup:
+    virMutexUnlock(&swtpm_tools_lock);
+
+    return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/util/virtpm.h b/src/util/virtpm.h
index 4408bdb217..2311f04ae5 100644
--- a/src/util/virtpm.h
+++ b/src/util/virtpm.h
@@ -21,3 +21,8 @@
 #pragma once
 
 char *virTPMCreateCancelPath(const char *devpath) ATTRIBUTE_NOINLINE;
+
+char *virTPMGetSwtpm(void);
+char *virTPMGetSwtpmSetup(void);
+char *virTPMGetSwtpmIoctl(void);
+int virTPMEmulatorInit(void);