diff --git a/mantle/cmd/kola/kola.go b/mantle/cmd/kola/kola.go
index a19badafc9..481bff0fe8 100644
--- a/mantle/cmd/kola/kola.go
+++ b/mantle/cmd/kola/kola.go
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ func syncFindParentImageOptions() error {
 	// Here we handle the --fetch-parent-image --> platform-specific options
 	// based on its cosa build metadata
 	switch kolaPlatform {
-	case "qemu-unpriv":
+	case "qemu":
 		if qemuImageDir == "" {
 			if qemuImageDir, err = os.MkdirTemp("/var/tmp", "kola-run-upgrade"); err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/mantle/cmd/kola/options.go b/mantle/cmd/kola/options.go
index a2b889618c..3d0519029d 100644
--- a/mantle/cmd/kola/options.go
+++ b/mantle/cmd/kola/options.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ var (
 	kolaPlatform      string
 	kolaParallelArg   string
 	kolaArchitectures = []string{"amd64"}
-	kolaPlatforms     = []string{"aws", "azure", "do", "esx", "gcp", "openstack", "packet", "qemu", "qemu-unpriv", "qemu-iso"}
+	kolaPlatforms     = []string{"aws", "azure", "do", "esx", "gcp", "openstack", "packet", "qemu", "qemu-iso"}
 	kolaDistros       = []string{"fcos", "rhcos", "scos"}
 )
 
@@ -177,23 +177,23 @@ func syncOptionsImpl(useCosa bool) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unsupported %v %q", name, item)
 	}
 
-	// TODO: Could also auto-synchronize if e.g. --aws-ami is passed
-	if kolaPlatform == "" {
-		if kola.QEMUIsoOptions.IsoPath != "" {
-			kolaPlatform = "qemu-iso"
-		} else {
-			kolaPlatform = "qemu-unpriv"
-		}
+	if kolaPlatform == "iso" {
+		kolaPlatform = "qemu-iso"
 	}
 
-	// There used to be a "privileged" qemu path, it is no longer supported.
-	// Alias qemu to qemu-unpriv.
-	if kolaPlatform == "qemu" {
-		kolaPlatform = "qemu-unpriv"
-	} else if kolaPlatform == "iso" {
+	if kolaPlatform == "" && kola.QEMUIsoOptions.IsoPath != "" {
 		kolaPlatform = "qemu-iso"
 	}
 
+	// There used to be two QEMU platforms: privileged ('qemu') and
+	// unprivileged ('qemu-unpriv'). We first removed support for privileged
+	// QEMU and aliased it to 'qemu-unpriv' and then renamed and merged
+	// 'qemu-unpriv' to 'qemu' to unify on a single name. 'qemu' is now the
+	// default.
+	if kolaPlatform == "" {
+		kolaPlatform = "qemu"
+	}
+
 	// test parallelism
 	if kolaParallelArg == "auto" {
 		ncpu, err := system.GetProcessors()
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ func syncOptions() error {
 // options that can be derived from the cosa build metadata
 func syncCosaOptions() error {
 	switch kolaPlatform {
-	case "qemu-unpriv", "qemu":
+	case "qemu":
 		if kola.QEMUOptions.SecureExecution && kola.QEMUOptions.DiskImage == "" && kola.CosaBuild.Meta.BuildArtifacts.SecureExecutionQemu != nil {
 			kola.QEMUOptions.DiskImage = filepath.Join(kola.CosaBuild.Dir, kola.CosaBuild.Meta.BuildArtifacts.SecureExecutionQemu.Path)
 		}
diff --git a/mantle/cmd/kola/spawn.go b/mantle/cmd/kola/spawn.go
index 97e504f7fb..cd55d3d36b 100644
--- a/mantle/cmd/kola/spawn.go
+++ b/mantle/cmd/kola/spawn.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/kola"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/conf"
-	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu"
+	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/qemu"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func runSpawn(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			}
 
 			switch qc := cluster.(type) {
-			case *unprivqemu.Cluster:
+			case *qemu.Cluster:
 				mach, err = qc.NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata, machineOpts)
 			default:
 				plog.Fatalf("unreachable: qemu cluster %v unknown type", qc)
diff --git a/mantle/kola/harness.go b/mantle/kola/harness.go
index 55393a989c..570ede04c5 100644
--- a/mantle/kola/harness.go
+++ b/mantle/kola/harness.go
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/gcloud"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/openstack"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/packet"
+	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/qemu"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/qemuiso"
-	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/system"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/util"
 	coreosarch "github.com/coreos/stream-metadata-go/arch"
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ var (
 	GCPOptions       = gcloudapi.Options{Options: &Options}    // glue to set platform options from main
 	OpenStackOptions = openstackapi.Options{Options: &Options} // glue to set platform options from main
 	PacketOptions    = packetapi.Options{Options: &Options}    // glue to set platform options from main
-	QEMUOptions      = unprivqemu.Options{Options: &Options}   // glue to set platform options from main
+	QEMUOptions      = qemu.Options{Options: &Options}         // glue to set platform options from main
 	QEMUIsoOptions   = qemuiso.Options{Options: &Options}      // glue to set platform options from main
 
 	CosaBuild *util.LocalBuild // this is a parsed cosa build
@@ -299,8 +299,8 @@ func NewFlight(pltfrm string) (flight platform.Flight, err error) {
 		flight, err = openstack.NewFlight(&OpenStackOptions)
 	case "packet":
 		flight, err = packet.NewFlight(&PacketOptions)
-	case "qemu-unpriv":
-		flight, err = unprivqemu.NewFlight(&QEMUOptions)
+	case "qemu":
+		flight, err = qemu.NewFlight(&QEMUOptions)
 	case "qemu-iso":
 		flight, err = qemuiso.NewFlight(&QEMUIsoOptions)
 	default:
@@ -480,11 +480,6 @@ func filterTests(tests map[string]*register.Test, patterns []string, pltfrm stri
 
 	checkPlatforms := []string{pltfrm}
 
-	// qemu-unpriv has the same restrictions as QEMU but might also want additional restrictions due to the lack of a Local cluster
-	if pltfrm == "qemu-unpriv" {
-		checkPlatforms = append(checkPlatforms, "qemu")
-	}
-
 	// sort tags into include/exclude
 	positiveTags := []string{}
 	negativeTags := []string{}
@@ -638,7 +633,7 @@ func filterTests(tests map[string]*register.Test, patterns []string, pltfrm stri
 		if allowed, excluded := isAllowed(Options.Distribution, t.Distros, t.ExcludeDistros); !allowed || excluded {
 			continue
 		}
-		if pltfrm == "qemu-unpriv" {
+		if pltfrm == "qemu" {
 			if allowed, excluded := isAllowed(QEMUOptions.Firmware, t.Firmwares, t.ExcludeFirmwares); !allowed || excluded {
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/mantle/kola/tests/ignition/luks.go b/mantle/kola/tests/ignition/luks.go
index e689dd1c20..5a5b3b75d0 100644
--- a/mantle/kola/tests/ignition/luks.go
+++ b/mantle/kola/tests/ignition/luks.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 	ut "github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/kola/tests/util"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/conf"
-	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu"
+	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/qemu"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/util"
 )
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func setupTangMachine(c cluster.TestCluster) ut.TangServer {
 	// the golang compiler no longer checks that the individual types in the case have the
 	// NewMachineWithQemuOptions function, but rather whether platform.Cluster
 	// does which fails
-	case *unprivqemu.Cluster:
+	case *qemu.Cluster:
 		m, err = pc.NewMachineWithQemuOptions(ignition, options)
 		for _, hfp := range options.HostForwardPorts {
 			if hfp.Service == "tang" {
diff --git a/mantle/kola/tests/ignition/security.go b/mantle/kola/tests/ignition/security.go
index dbca853f8f..50a8abaf5d 100644
--- a/mantle/kola/tests/ignition/security.go
+++ b/mantle/kola/tests/ignition/security.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func init() {
 			"TLSServe": register.CreateNativeFuncWrap(TLSServe),
 		},
 		Tags: []string{"ignition"},
-		// QEMU unprivileged doesn't support multiple VMs communicating with each other.
+		// QEMU doesn't support multiple VMs communicating with each other.
 		ExcludePlatforms: []string{"qemu"},
 		Timeout:          20 * time.Minute,
 	})
diff --git a/mantle/kola/tests/misc/boot-mirror.go b/mantle/kola/tests/misc/boot-mirror.go
index bffa14fa3c..cb48c07d57 100644
--- a/mantle/kola/tests/misc/boot-mirror.go
+++ b/mantle/kola/tests/misc/boot-mirror.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/kola/tests/util"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/conf"
-	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu"
+	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/qemu"
 	ut "github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/util"
 )
 
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func runBootMirrorTest(c cluster.TestCluster) {
 	// FIXME: for QEMU tests kola currently assumes the host CPU architecture
 	// matches the one under test
 	userdata := bootmirror.Subst("LAYOUT", coreosarch.CurrentRpmArch())
-	m, err = c.Cluster.(*unprivqemu.Cluster).NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata, options)
+	m, err = c.Cluster.(*qemu.Cluster).NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata, options)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func runBootMirrorLUKSTest(c cluster.TestCluster) {
 	// FIXME: for QEMU tests kola currently assumes the host CPU architecture
 	// matches the one under test
 	userdata := bootmirrorluks.Subst("LAYOUT", coreosarch.CurrentRpmArch())
-	m, err = c.Cluster.(*unprivqemu.Cluster).NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata, options)
+	m, err = c.Cluster.(*qemu.Cluster).NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata, options)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/mantle/kola/tests/misc/network.go b/mantle/kola/tests/misc/network.go
index 37e5461db3..280bd665c0 100644
--- a/mantle/kola/tests/misc/network.go
+++ b/mantle/kola/tests/misc/network.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/kola/register"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/conf"
-	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu"
+	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/qemu"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/util"
 )
 
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ func setupMultipleNetworkTest(c cluster.TestCluster, primaryMac, secondaryMac st
 	// the golang compiler no longer checks that the individual types in the case have the
 	// NewMachineWithQemuOptions function, but rather whether platform.Cluster
 	// does which fails
-	case *unprivqemu.Cluster:
+	case *qemu.Cluster:
 		m, err = pc.NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata, options)
 	default:
 		panic("unreachable")
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ func setupWithInterfacesTest(c cluster.TestCluster, primaryMac, secondaryMac str
 	// the golang compiler no longer checks that the individual types in the case have the
 	// NewMachineWithQemuOptions function, but rather whether platform.Cluster
 	// does which fails
-	case *unprivqemu.Cluster:
+	case *qemu.Cluster:
 		m, err = pc.NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata, options)
 	default:
 		panic("unreachable")
diff --git a/mantle/kola/tests/rhcos/upgrade.go b/mantle/kola/tests/rhcos/upgrade.go
index e2eda9dee0..8f435c3354 100644
--- a/mantle/kola/tests/rhcos/upgrade.go
+++ b/mantle/kola/tests/rhcos/upgrade.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/kola/tests/util"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/conf"
-	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu"
+	"github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/platform/machine/qemu"
 	installer "github.com/coreos/coreos-assembler/mantle/util"
 	"github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver"
 )
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ func rhcosUpgradeFromOcpRhcos(c cluster.TestCluster) {
 	}`)
 
 	switch pc := c.Cluster.(type) {
-	case *unprivqemu.Cluster:
+	case *qemu.Cluster:
 		ostreeCommit := kola.CosaBuild.Meta.OstreeCommit
 		temp := os.TempDir()
 		rhcosQcow2, err := downloadLatestReleasedRHCOS(temp)
diff --git a/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu/cluster.go b/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go
similarity index 98%
rename from mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu/cluster.go
rename to mantle/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go
index 033860371a..790f04ce94 100644
--- a/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu/cluster.go
+++ b/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-package unprivqemu
+package qemu
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (qc *Cluster) NewMachineWithQemuOptions(userdata *conf.UserData, options pl
 		}
 	} else if conf.IsEmpty() {
 	} else {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unprivileged qemu only supports Ignition or empty configs")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("qemu only supports Ignition or empty configs")
 	}
 
 	builder.ConfigFile = confPath
diff --git a/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu/flight.go b/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/flight.go
similarity index 99%
rename from mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu/flight.go
rename to mantle/platform/machine/qemu/flight.go
index a651b97050..188fd599e9 100644
--- a/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu/flight.go
+++ b/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/flight.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-package unprivqemu
+package qemu
 
 import (
 	"github.com/coreos/pkg/capnslog"
diff --git a/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu/machine.go b/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/machine.go
similarity index 99%
rename from mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu/machine.go
rename to mantle/platform/machine/qemu/machine.go
index c217bb0cff..807fc6a56e 100644
--- a/mantle/platform/machine/unprivqemu/machine.go
+++ b/mantle/platform/machine/qemu/machine.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-package unprivqemu
+package qemu
 
 import (
 	"context"
diff --git a/src/cmd-kola b/src/cmd-kola
index 8cf39e3973..2fe2a20dcf 100755
--- a/src/cmd-kola
+++ b/src/cmd-kola
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ r = re.compile("-p(=.+)?|--platform(=.+)?")
 platformargs = list(filter(r.match, unknown_args))
 
 if os.getuid() != 0 and len(platformargs) == 0:
-    kolaargs.extend(['-p', 'qemu-unpriv'])
+    kolaargs.extend(['-p', 'qemu'])
 
 if args.build is not None:
     kolaargs.extend(['--build', args.build])
diff --git a/src/cmd-offline-update b/src/cmd-offline-update
index f5d4754e9b..146b3616f4 100755
--- a/src/cmd-offline-update
+++ b/src/cmd-offline-update
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 # cd /path/to/rhcos-4.8
 # cp --reflink=auto /path/to/rhcos-4.6.0-x86_64-qemu.qcow2 tmp/
 # cosa offline-update tmp/rhcos-4.6.0-x86_64-qemu.qcow2
-# kola run -p qemu-unpriv -b rhcos --qemu-image tmp/rhcos-4.6.0-x86_64-qemu.qcow2 basic
+# kola run -p qemu -b rhcos --qemu-image tmp/rhcos-4.6.0-x86_64-qemu.qcow2 basic
 
 set -euo pipefail