diff --git a/generator/tests_c_api.ml b/generator/tests_c_api.ml
index 8116e9ee5..7cf376387 100644
--- a/generator/tests_c_api.ml
+++ b/generator/tests_c_api.ml
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ let rec generate_c_api_tests () =
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #include \"guestfs.h\"
 #include \"guestfs-internal-frontend.h\"
@@ -335,6 +336,23 @@ and generate_test_perform name i test_name test =
     let seq, last = get_seq_last seq in
     List.iter (generate_test_command_call test_name) seq;
     generate_test_command_call test_name ~expect_error:true last
+
+  | TestRunOrUnsupported seq ->
+    pr "  /* TestRunOrUnsupported for %s (%d) */\n" name i;
+    let seq, last = get_seq_last seq in
+    List.iter (generate_test_command_call test_name) seq;
+    generate_test_command_call test_name ~expect_error:true ~do_return:false ~ret:"ret" last;
+    pr "  if (ret == -1) {\n";
+    pr "    if (guestfs_last_errno (g) == ENOTSUP) {\n";
+    pr "      skipped (\"%s\", \"last command %%s returned ENOTSUP\", \"%s\");\n"
+      test_name (List.hd last);
+    pr "      return 0;\n";
+    pr "    }\n";
+    pr "    fprintf (stderr, \"%%s: test failed: expected last command %%s to pass or fail with ENOTSUP, but it failed with %%d: %%s\\n\",\n";
+    pr "             \"%s\", \"%s\", guestfs_last_errno (g), guestfs_last_error (g));\n"
+      test_name (List.hd last);
+    pr "    return -1;\n";
+    pr "  }\n"
   );
 
   pr "  return 0;\n";
@@ -354,7 +372,7 @@ and generate_test_cleanup test_name cleanup =
  * variable named 'ret'.  If you expect to get an error then you should
  * set expect_error:true.
  *)
-and generate_test_command_call ?(expect_error = false) ?test ?ret test_name cmd=
+and generate_test_command_call ?(expect_error = false) ?(do_return = true) ?test ?ret test_name cmd=
   let ret = match ret with Some ret -> ret | None -> gensym "ret" in
 
   let name, args =
@@ -561,7 +579,11 @@ and generate_test_command_call ?(expect_error = false) ?test ?ret test_name cmd=
   if expect_error then
     pr "  guestfs_pop_error_handler (g);\n";
 
-  (match errcode_of_ret style_ret, expect_error with
+  let ret_errcode =
+    if do_return then errcode_of_ret style_ret
+    else `CannotReturnError in
+
+  (match ret_errcode, expect_error with
   | `CannotReturnError, _ -> ()
   | `ErrorIsMinusOne, false ->
     pr "  if (%s == -1)\n" ret;
diff --git a/generator/types.ml b/generator/types.ml
index 7fa65c9ff..b2f872480 100644
--- a/generator/types.ml
+++ b/generator/types.ml
@@ -245,6 +245,11 @@ and c_api_test =
    *)
   | TestLastFail of seq
 
+  (* Run the command sequence and expect either nothing to fail,
+   * or that the last command only can fail with ENOTSUP.
+   *)
+  | TestRunOrUnsupported of seq
+
 (* Test prerequisites. *)
 and c_api_test_prereq =
     (* Test always runs. *)
diff --git a/generator/utils.ml b/generator/utils.ml
index 6eff6adcf..34edf9dc6 100644
--- a/generator/utils.ml
+++ b/generator/utils.ml
@@ -266,7 +266,8 @@ let seq_of_test = function
   | TestResultDevice (s, _)
   | TestResultTrue s
   | TestResultFalse s
-  | TestLastFail s -> s
+  | TestLastFail s
+  | TestRunOrUnsupported s -> s
 
 let c_quote str =
   let str = replace_str str "\\" "\\\\" in