diff --git a/src/middlewared/middlewared/plugins/vm/connection.py b/src/middlewared/middlewared/plugins/vm/connection.py
index e415cb2e2b2e6..ab84cb9872147 100644
--- a/src/middlewared/middlewared/plugins/vm/connection.py
+++ b/src/middlewared/middlewared/plugins/vm/connection.py
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@ def _check_connection_alive(self):
         if not self._is_libvirt_connection_alive():
             raise CallError('Failed to connect to libvirt')
 
-    def _check_setup_connection(self):
+    def _safely_check_setup_connection(self, timeout: int = 10):
         if not self._is_connection_alive():
-            self.middleware.call_sync('vm.setup_libvirt_connection', 10)
+            self.middleware.call_sync('vm.setup_libvirt_connection', timeout)
+
+    def _check_setup_connection(self):
+        self._safely_check_setup_connection()
         self._check_connection_alive()
diff --git a/src/middlewared/middlewared/plugins/vm/vms.py b/src/middlewared/middlewared/plugins/vm/vms.py
index f9213c888009a..4c01abf071108 100644
--- a/src/middlewared/middlewared/plugins/vm/vms.py
+++ b/src/middlewared/middlewared/plugins/vm/vms.py
@@ -101,9 +101,11 @@ def extend_context(self, rows, extra):
         status = {}
         kvm_supported = self._is_kvm_supported()
         if rows and kvm_supported:
-            self._check_setup_connection()
+            self._safely_check_setup_connection(5)
+
+        libvirt_running = self._is_connection_alive()
         for row in rows:
-            status[row['id']] = self.status_impl(row) if kvm_supported else get_default_status()
+            status[row['id']] = self.status_impl(row) if libvirt_running else get_default_status()
 
         return {
             'status': status,