diff --git a/setup/installer/__init__.py b/setup/installer/__init__.py
index 8374f93e38..e8bdda069f 100644
--- a/setup/installer/__init__.py
+++ b/setup/installer/__init__.py
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ class VMInstaller(Command):
     INSTALLER_EXT = None
     VM = None
     VM_NAME = None
+    VM_CHECK = None
     FREEZE_COMMAND = None
     FREEZE_TEMPLATE = 'python setup.py {freeze_command}'
     SHUTDOWN_CMD = ['sudo', 'poweroff']
@@ -117,6 +118,13 @@ class VMInstaller(Command):
 
 
     def run_vm(self):
+        pat = '/%s/'%(self.VM_CHECK or self.VM_NAME)
+        pids= [pid for pid in os.listdir('/proc') if pid.isdigit()]
+        for pid in pids:
+            cmdline = open(os.path.join('/proc', pid, 'cmdline'), 'rb').read()
+            if 'vmware-vmx' in cmdline and pat in cmdline:
+                return
+
         self.__p = subprocess.Popen([self.vm])
 
     def start_vm(self, sleep=75):
diff --git a/setup/installer/windows/__init__.py b/setup/installer/windows/__init__.py
index 324dea6e0f..a7b4a62af4 100644
--- a/setup/installer/windows/__init__.py
+++ b/setup/installer/windows/__init__.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class Win32(VMInstaller):
     INSTALLER_EXT = 'exe'
     VM_NAME = 'xp_build'
     VM = '/vmware/bin/%s'%VM_NAME
+    VM_CHECK = 'calibre_windows_xp_home'
     FREEZE_COMMAND = 'win32_freeze'
     FREEZE_TEMPLATE = 'python -OO setup.py {freeze_command} --no-ice'
     INSTALLER_EXT = 'msi'