diff --git a/lib/installedtest.pm b/lib/installedtest.pm
index 125c5ce7..b48971d3 100644
--- a/lib/installedtest.pm
+++ b/lib/installedtest.pm
@@ -101,16 +101,6 @@ sub repo_setup {
     script_run "cat /etc/yum.repos.d/{fedora,fedora-rawhide}.repo";
 }
 
-# switch to the desktop where the VT is
-sub desktop_vt {
-    if (get_var("DESKTOP") eq 'gnome') {
-        send_key 'ctrl-alt-f2';
-    }
-    else {
-        send_key 'ctrl-alt-f1';
-    }
-}
-
 1;
 
 # vim: set sw=4 et:
diff --git a/lib/main_common.pm b/lib/main_common.pm
index 67faaa49..4c97ea9f 100644
--- a/lib/main_common.pm
+++ b/lib/main_common.pm
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use base 'Exporter';
 use Exporter;
 
 use testapi;
-our @EXPORT = qw/run_with_error_check check_type_string type_safely type_very_safely/;
+our @EXPORT = qw/run_with_error_check check_type_string type_safely type_very_safely desktop_vt/;
 
 sub run_with_error_check {
     my ($func, $error_screen) = @_;
@@ -48,3 +48,17 @@ sub type_very_safely {
     check_type_string($string, size => 1, still => 5, max_interval => 1);
     wait_still_screen 5;
 }
+
+# Figure out what tty the desktop is on, switch to it. Assumes we're
+# at a root console
+sub desktop_vt {
+    # use ps to find the tty of Xwayland or Xorg
+    my $xout;
+    # don't fail test if we don't find any process, just guess tty1
+    eval { $xout = script_output 'ps -C Xwayland,Xorg -o tty --no-headers'; };
+    my $tty = 1; # default
+    while ($xout =~ /tty(\d)/g) {
+        $tty = $1; # most recent match is probably best
+    }
+    send_key "ctrl-alt-f${tty}";
+}
diff --git a/tests/desktop_notifications_postinstall.pm b/tests/desktop_notifications_postinstall.pm
index 3f328d2f..3512cdcb 100644
--- a/tests/desktop_notifications_postinstall.pm
+++ b/tests/desktop_notifications_postinstall.pm
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ sub run {
     # just assume we're gonna win
     $self->root_console(tty=>3);
     prepare_test_packages;
-    $self->desktop_vt();
+    desktop_vt;
     # now, WE WAIT. this is just an unconditional wait - rather than
     # breaking if we see an update notification appear - so we catch
     # things that crash a few minutes after startup, etc.
diff --git a/tests/desktop_update_graphical_postinstall.pm b/tests/desktop_update_graphical_postinstall.pm
index 133f7219..9f689998 100644
--- a/tests/desktop_update_graphical_postinstall.pm
+++ b/tests/desktop_update_graphical_postinstall.pm
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ sub run {
     assert_script_run 'dnf config-manager --set-disabled updates-testing';
     prepare_test_packages;
     # get back to the desktop
-    $self->desktop_vt();
+    desktop_vt;
     # run the updater
     if ($desktop eq 'kde') {
         # KDE team tells me the 'preferred' update method is the