diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 89137a81..c5a86932 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ PACKAGE_NAME=ovirt-imageio
 PACKAGE_VERSION=$(shell python3 ovirt_imageio/_internal/version.py)
 OUTDIR=dist
 
+VENV_DIR = $(HOME)/.venv/ovirt-imageio
+
 RPM_TOPDIR?=$(PWD)/build/rpm
 TAR_NAME=$(PACKAGE_NAME)-$(PACKAGE_VERSION).tar.gz
 SPEC_NAME=$(PACKAGE_NAME).spec
@@ -12,7 +14,7 @@ GENERATED = \
 
 METADATA = ovirt_imageio/_internal/version.py Makefile
 
-.PHONY: build check dist srpm rpm clean images clean-images storage clean-storage $(SPEC_NAME)
+.PHONY: build check dist srpm rpm clean images clean-images storage clean-storage $(SPEC_NAME) venv
 
 build:
 	python3 setup.py build_ext --build-lib .
@@ -59,6 +61,11 @@ storage:
 clean-storage:
 	userstorage delete storage.py
 
+venv:
+	python3 -m venv $(VENV_DIR) && \
+	$(VENV_DIR)/bin/python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip && \
+	$(VENV_DIR)/bin/python3 -m pip install -r containers/requirements.txt
+
 $(GENERATED) : % : %.in $(METADATA)
 	@sed \
 		-e 's|@PACKAGE_NAME@|$(PACKAGE_NAME)|g' \
diff --git a/docs/development.md b/docs/development.md
index 3a26f1a2..11b24d4b 100644
--- a/docs/development.md
+++ b/docs/development.md
@@ -45,18 +45,14 @@ Install the runtime requirements:
 
 Create a virtual environment for running the tests:
 
-    python3 -m venv ~/venv/ovirt-imageio
-    source ~/venv/ovirt-imageio/bin/activate
-    pip install --upgrade pip
-    pip install --upgrade -r containers/requirements.txt
-    deactivate
+    make venv
 
 
 ## Running the tests
 
 Before running the tests, enter the virtual environment:
 
-    source ~/venv/ovirt-imageio/bin/activate
+    source ~/.venv/ovirt-imageio/bin/activate
 
 When you are done, you can deactivate the environment using: