diff --git a/bin/cros_au_test_harness.py b/bin/cros_au_test_harness.py
index 6e537036ae..5d5b221760 100755
--- a/bin/cros_au_test_harness.py
+++ b/bin/cros_au_test_harness.py
@@ -446,12 +446,10 @@ class VirtualAUTest(unittest.TestCase, AUTest):
     if os.path.exists(pid_file):
       Warning('Existing %s found.  Deleting and killing process' %
               pid_file)
-      pid = RunCommand(['sudo', 'cat', pid_file], redirect_stdout=True,
-                       enter_chroot=False)
-      if pid:
-        RunCommand(['sudo', 'kill', pid.strip()], error_ok=True,
-                   enter_chroot=False)
-        RunCommand(['sudo', 'rm', pid_file], enter_chroot=False)
+      RunCommand(['./cros_stop_vm', '--kvm_pid=%s' % pid_file],
+                 cwd=self.crosutilsbin)
+
+    assert not os.path.exists(pid_file)
 
   def setUp(self):
     """Unit test overriden method.  Is called before every test."""
diff --git a/bin/cros_stop_vm b/bin/cros_stop_vm
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..84fa56c291
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/cros_stop_vm
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Copyright (c) 2010 The Chromium OS Authors. All rights reserved.
+# Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+# found in the LICENSE file.
+#
+# Simple wrapper scipt to stop a vm specified from a pid file.
+
+. "$(dirname $0)/../common.sh"
+. "$(dirname $0)/../lib/cros_vm_lib.sh"
+
+set -e
+
+# Parse command line.
+FLAGS "$@" || exit 1
+eval set -- "${FLAGS_ARGV}"
+
+# Requires pid file to be set.
+if [ -z "${FLAGS_kvm_pid}" ]; then
+  die "Must specify file with pid of kvm to kill."
+fi
+
+KVM_PID_FILE="${FLAGS_kvm_pid}"
+stop_kvm
diff --git a/lib/cros_vm_lib.sh b/lib/cros_vm_lib.sh
index 741c5feae5..b0cd1ee6da 100644
--- a/lib/cros_vm_lib.sh
+++ b/lib/cros_vm_lib.sh
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ function start_kvm() {
       -net user,hostfwd=tcp::${FLAGS_ssh_port}-:22 \
       -hda "${1}"
 
+    info "KVM started with pid stored in ${KVM_PID_FILE}"
     LIVE_VM_IMAGE="${1}"
   fi
 }