diff --git a/provider/input_event_proxy.py b/provider/input_event_proxy.py
index 74958a58198c203c596793a851d7ec651c5ae02f..21e1e841884ff3d4c4d006514cf4de2eb718fc5a 100644
--- a/provider/input_event_proxy.py
+++ b/provider/input_event_proxy.py
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ class _EventListener(object):
         self._agent_sh = None
         self._agent_state = AgentState.STOPPED
         self._install()
-        self._listen()
 
     def _install(self):
         '''Install (copy) the agent into VM.'''
@@ -286,6 +285,8 @@ class EventListenerLinux(_EventListener):
             ebuf[EventTypeKey] = EventType.UNKNOWN
         self._buffers[dev] = ebuf
 
+    def listen(self):
+        self._listen()
 
 # XXX: we may need different map tables for different keyboard layouts,
 # or even the best solution is not using any mapping, but let us pick
diff --git a/qemu/tests/vioinput_keyboard.py b/qemu/tests/vioinput_keyboard.py
index 0ec1100fe7ec7789b7a507b37a0dd6d0f59aac4f..0f8efb9f54aead01f69311feef8a483a277a4254 100644
--- a/qemu/tests/vioinput_keyboard.py
+++ b/qemu/tests/vioinput_keyboard.py
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ def key_tap_test(test, params, vm):
 
     error_context.context("Start event listener in guest", logging.info)
     listener = input_event_proxy.EventListener(vm)
+    listener.listen()
 
     console = graphical_console.GraphicalConsole(vm)
     for key in key_check_cfg.keys():
diff --git a/qemu/tests/vioinput_mice.py b/qemu/tests/vioinput_mice.py
index eba800c0a9e7ceff59b2f18df0a21b445e6c845f..a9ad669fac63dbdb27f04639e5c97e4faf7e3526 100644
--- a/qemu/tests/vioinput_mice.py
+++ b/qemu/tests/vioinput_mice.py
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ def run(test, params, env):
         test.fail("%s does not worked currently" % mice_name)
 
     listener = input_event_proxy.EventListener(vm)
+    listener.listen()
     console = graphical_console.GraphicalConsole(vm)
     wait_time = float(params.get("wait_time", 0.2))
     absolute = True if mice_info["absolute"] else False