diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/controllers/__main__.py b/src/aleph/vm/controllers/__main__.py
index 69fbc3779..3ccc97bda 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/controllers/__main__.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/controllers/__main__.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ async def execute_persistent_vm(config: Configuration):
         process = await execution.start(config.vm_configuration.config_file_path)
     elif isinstance(config.vm_configuration, QemuConfidentialVMConfiguration):  # FIXME
         assert isinstance(config.vm_configuration, QemuConfidentialVMConfiguration)
-        execution = QemuConfidentialVM(config.vm_configuration)
+        execution = QemuConfidentialVM(config.vm_hash, config.vm_configuration)
         process = await execution.start()
     else:
         assert isinstance(config.vm_configuration, QemuVMConfiguration)
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu/client.py b/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu/client.py
index 2b7870994..936f65b5b 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu/client.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu/client.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class QemuVmClient:
     def __init__(self, vm):
         self.vm = vm
         if not (vm.qmp_socket_path and vm.qmp_socket_path.exists()):
-            raise Exception
+            raise Exception("VM is not running")
         client = qmp.QEMUMonitorProtocol(str(vm.qmp_socket_path))
         client.connect()
 
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu_confidential/instance.py b/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu_confidential/instance.py
index 765558c16..fd371dfb0 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu_confidential/instance.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu_confidential/instance.py
@@ -62,9 +62,7 @@ def __init__(
         hardware_resources: MachineResources = MachineResources(),
         tap_interface: Optional[TapInterface] = None,
     ):
-        super().__init__(
-            vm_id, vm_hash, resources, enable_networking, enable_console, hardware_resources, tap_interface
-        )
+        super().__init__(vm_id, vm_hash, resources, enable_networking, hardware_resources, tap_interface)
 
     async def setup(self):
         pass
@@ -106,7 +104,11 @@ async def configure(self):
         )
 
         configuration = Configuration(
-            vm_id=self.vm_id, settings=settings, vm_configuration=vm_configuration, hypervisor=HypervisorType.qemu
+            vm_id=self.vm_id,
+            vm_hash=self.vm_hash,
+            settings=settings,
+            vm_configuration=vm_configuration,
+            hypervisor=HypervisorType.qemu,
         )
         logger.debug(configuration)
 
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu/qemuvm.py b/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu/qemuvm.py
index 59148aee9..79d7c9d12 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu/qemuvm.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu/qemuvm.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class QemuVM:
     vcpu_count: int
     mem_size_mb: int
     interface_name: str
-    qemu_process = None
+    qemu_process: Optional[Process] = None
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         if self.qemu_process:
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ async def start(
         if self.cloud_init_drive_path:
             args += ["-cdrom", f"{self.cloud_init_drive_path}"]
         print(*args)
+
         self.qemu_process = proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
             *args,
             stdin=asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL,
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu_confidential/qemuvm.py b/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu_confidential/qemuvm.py
index 15bc95b45..dd31b2580 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu_confidential/qemuvm.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu_confidential/qemuvm.py
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import asyncio
 from asyncio.subprocess import Process
 from pathlib import Path
+from typing import TextIO
 
 from cpuid.features import secure_encryption_info
+from systemd import journal
 
 from aleph.vm.controllers.configuration import QemuConfidentialVMConfiguration
 from aleph.vm.controllers.qemu.instance import logger
@@ -21,8 +23,8 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
         else:
             return "<QemuConfidentialVM: not running>"
 
-    def __init__(self, config: QemuConfidentialVMConfiguration):
-        super().__init__(config)
+    def __init__(self, vm_hash, config: QemuConfidentialVMConfiguration):
+        super().__init__(vm_hash, config)
         self.qemu_bin_path = config.qemu_bin_path
         self.cloud_init_drive_path = config.cloud_init_drive_path
         self.image_path = config.image_path
@@ -47,6 +49,8 @@ async def start(
         # -net tap,ifname=tap0,script=no,downscript=no -drive file=alpine.qcow2,media=disk,if=virtio -nographic
         # hardware_resources.published ports -> not implemented at the moment
         # hardware_resources.seconds -> only for microvm
+        journal_stdout: TextIO = journal.stream(self._journal_stdout_name)
+        journal_stderr: TextIO = journal.stream(self._journal_stderr_name)
 
         # TODO : ensure this is ok at launch
         sev_info = secure_encryption_info()
@@ -114,9 +118,11 @@ async def start(
         self.qemu_process = proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
             *args,
             stdin=asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL,
-            stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-            stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
+            stdout=journal_stdout,
+            stderr=journal_stderr,
         )
 
-        logger.debug(f"started QemuConfidentialVM vm {self}, {proc}")
+        print(
+            f"Started QemuVm {self}, {proc}. Log available with: journalctl -t  {self._journal_stdout_name} -t {self._journal_stderr_name}"
+        )
         return proc
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/run.py b/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/run.py
index 7f7be1812..da29084dd 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/run.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/run.py
@@ -254,6 +254,8 @@ async def start_persistent_vm(vm_hash: ItemHash, pubsub: Optional[PubSub], pool:
     if not execution:
         logger.info(f"Starting persistent virtual machine with id: {vm_hash}")
         execution = await create_vm_execution(vm_hash=vm_hash, pool=pool, persistent=True)
+    else:
+        logger.info(f"{vm_hash} is already running")
 
     await execution.becomes_ready()