diff --git a/pkg/machine/e2e/README.md b/pkg/machine/e2e/README.md
index 9f430b1460..4b4ddf6567 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/e2e/README.md
+++ b/pkg/machine/e2e/README.md
@@ -12,8 +12,15 @@
 ### HyperV
 
 1. Open a powershell as admin
-2. $env:CONTAINERS_MACHINE_PROVIDER="hyperv"
-3. $env:MACHINE_IMAGE="https://fedorapeople.org/groups/podman/testing/hyperv/fedora-coreos-38.20230830.dev.0-hyperv.x86_64.vhdx.zip"
-4. `./test/tools/build/ginkgo.exe -vv  --tags "remote exclude_graphdriver_btrfs btrfs_noversion exclude_graphdriver_devicemapper containers_image_openpgp remote" -timeout=90m --trace --no-color  pkg/machine/e2e/. `
+1. $env:CONTAINERS_MACHINE_PROVIDER="hyperv"
+1. $env:MACHINE_IMAGE="https://fedorapeople.org/groups/podman/testing/hyperv/fedora-coreos-38.20230830.dev.0-hyperv.x86_64.vhdx.zip"
+1. `./test/tools/build/ginkgo.exe -vv  --tags "remote exclude_graphdriver_btrfs btrfs_noversion exclude_graphdriver_devicemapper containers_image_openpgp remote" -timeout=90m --trace --no-color  pkg/machine/e2e/. `
+
+Note: Add `--focus-file "basic_test.go" ` to only run basic test
+
+### WSL
+1. Open a powershell as a regular user
+1. Build and copy win-sshproxy into bin/
+1. `./test/tools/build/ginkgo.exe -vv  --tags "remote exclude_graphdriver_btrfs btrfs_noversion exclude_graphdriver_devicemapper containers_image_openpgp remote" -timeout=90m --trace --no-color  pkg/machine/e2e/. `
 
 Note: Add `--focus-file "basic_test.go" ` to only run basic test
diff --git a/pkg/machine/e2e/config_unix_test.go b/pkg/machine/e2e/config_unix_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b46b596efe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/machine/e2e/config_unix_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+//go:build darwin || dragonfly || freebsd || linux || netbsd || openbsd
+
+package e2e_test
+
+import (
+	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/pkg/machine"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+)
+
+func getDownloadLocation(p machine.VirtProvider) string {
+	dd, err := p.NewDownload("")
+	if err != nil {
+		Fail("unable to create new download")
+	}
+
+	fcd, err := dd.GetFCOSDownload(defaultStream)
+	if err != nil {
+		Fail("unable to get virtual machine image")
+	}
+
+	return fcd.Location
+}
diff --git a/pkg/machine/e2e/config_windows_test.go b/pkg/machine/e2e/config_windows_test.go
index 6fa5cdd80e..5c39507140 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/e2e/config_windows_test.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/e2e/config_windows_test.go
@@ -1,3 +1,17 @@
 package e2e_test
 
+import (
+	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/pkg/machine"
+	"github.com/containers/podman/v4/pkg/machine/wsl"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+)
+
 const podmanBinary = "../../../bin/windows/podman.exe"
+
+func getDownloadLocation(_ machine.VirtProvider) string {
+	fd, err := wsl.NewFedoraDownloader(machine.WSLVirt, "", defaultStream.String())
+	if err != nil {
+		Fail("unable to get WSL virtual image")
+	}
+	return fd.Get().URL.String()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/machine/e2e/machine_test.go b/pkg/machine/e2e/machine_test.go
index b392fb2838..af20d2f23e 100644
--- a/pkg/machine/e2e/machine_test.go
+++ b/pkg/machine/e2e/machine_test.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ func TestMachine(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 var _ = BeforeSuite(func() {
+
 	testProvider, err := provider.Get()
 	if err != nil {
 		Fail("unable to create testProvider")
@@ -51,17 +52,15 @@ var _ = BeforeSuite(func() {
 
 	downloadLocation := os.Getenv("MACHINE_IMAGE")
 
-	dd, err := testProvider.NewDownload("")
-	if err != nil {
-		Fail("unable to create new download")
-	}
 	if len(downloadLocation) < 1 {
-		fcd, err := dd.GetFCOSDownload(defaultStream)
-		if err != nil {
-			Fail("unable to get virtual machine image")
+		downloadLocation = getDownloadLocation(testProvider)
+		// we cannot simply use OS here because hyperv uses fcos; so WSL is just
+		// special here
+		if testProvider.VMType() != machine.WSLVirt {
+			downloadLocation = getDownloadLocation(testProvider)
 		}
-		downloadLocation = fcd.Location
 	}
+
 	compressionExtension := fmt.Sprintf(".%s", testProvider.Compression().String())
 	suiteImageName = strings.TrimSuffix(path.Base(downloadLocation), compressionExtension)
 	fqImageName = filepath.Join(tmpDir, suiteImageName)