diff --git a/scripts/runqemu b/scripts/runqemu
index ef24ddc6b2..ea44600e64 100755
--- a/scripts/runqemu
+++ b/scripts/runqemu
@@ -1374,8 +1374,18 @@ to your build configuration.
         render_hint = """If /dev/dri/renderD* is absent due to lack of suitable GPU, 'modprobe vgem' will create one suitable for mesa llvmpipe software renderer."""
         try:
             content = os.listdir("/dev/dri")
-            if len([i for i in content if i.startswith('render')]) == 0:
-                raise RunQemuError("No render nodes found in /dev/dri: %s. %s" %(content, render_hint))
+            nodes = [i for i in content if i.startswith('renderD')]
+            if len(nodes) == 0:
+                raise RunQemuError("No render nodes found in /dev/dri/: %s. %s" %(content, render_hint))
+            for n in nodes:
+                try:
+                    with open(os.path.join("/dev/dri", n), "w") as f:
+                        f.close()
+                        break
+                except IOError:
+                    pass
+            else:
+                raise RunQemuError("None of the render nodes in /dev/dri/ are accessible: %s; you may need to add yourself to 'render' group or otherwise ensure you have read-write permissions on one of them." %(nodes))
         except FileNotFoundError:
             raise RunQemuError("/dev/dri directory does not exist; no render nodes available on this machine. %s" %(render_hint))