diff --git a/board/emulation/qemu-arm/Kconfig b/board/emulation/qemu-arm/Kconfig
index d1c08c2f6a..02ae4d9884 100644
--- a/board/emulation/qemu-arm/Kconfig
+++ b/board/emulation/qemu-arm/Kconfig
@@ -5,5 +5,9 @@ config SYS_TEXT_BASE
 
 config BOARD_SPECIFIC_OPTIONS # dummy
 	def_bool y
+	imply VIRTIO_MMIO
+	imply VIRTIO_PCI
+	imply VIRTIO_NET
+	imply VIRTIO_BLK
 
 endif
diff --git a/board/emulation/qemu-arm/qemu-arm.c b/board/emulation/qemu-arm/qemu-arm.c
index 812c90636d..e1f4709c4c 100644
--- a/board/emulation/qemu-arm/qemu-arm.c
+++ b/board/emulation/qemu-arm/qemu-arm.c
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2017 Tuomas Tynkkynen
  */
+
 #include <common.h>
+#include <dm.h>
 #include <fdtdec.h>
+#include <virtio_types.h>
+#include <virtio.h>
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ARM64
 #include <asm/armv8/mmu.h>
@@ -58,6 +62,12 @@ struct mm_region *mem_map = qemu_arm64_mem_map;
 
 int board_init(void)
 {
+	/*
+	 * Make sure virtio bus is enumerated so that peripherals
+	 * on the virtio bus can be discovered by their drivers
+	 */
+	virtio_init();
+
 	return 0;
 }