diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/qemu-7-prepare.sh b/.github/workflows/scripts/qemu-7-prepare.sh
index 5e18f4bf4..87def9fa6 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/qemu-7-prepare.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/scripts/qemu-7-prepare.sh
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ cd $RESPATH
 
 # prepare result files for summary
 for ((i=1; i<=VMs; i++)); do
+
+  # no results, VM either didn't start or was unreachable, create
+  # the missing directory which is expected by subsequent steps
+  test -d vm$i || mkdir -p vm$i
+
   file="vm$i/build-stderr.txt"
   test -s $file && mv -f $file build-stderr.txt
 
@@ -62,8 +67,6 @@ for ((i=1; i<=VMs; i++)); do
 
   file="vm$i/tests-exitcode.txt"
   if [ ! -s $file ]; then
-    # XXX - add some tests for kernel panic's here
-    # tail -n 80 vm$i/console.txt | grep XYZ
     echo 1 > $file
   fi
   rv=$(cat vm$i/tests-exitcode.txt)
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/qemu-8-summary.sh b/.github/workflows/scripts/qemu-8-summary.sh
index 00a4bf1ae..39b3d124c 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/qemu-8-summary.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/scripts/qemu-8-summary.sh
@@ -37,9 +37,11 @@ function showfile_tail() {
   echo "##[endgroup]"
 }
 
-# overview
-cat /tmp/summary.txt
-echo ""
+# overview if available
+if [ -f /tmp/summary.txt -a -s /tmp/summary.txt ]; then
+  cat /tmp/summary.txt
+  echo ""
+fi
 
 if [ -f /tmp/have_failed_tests -a -s /tmp/failed.txt ]; then
   echo "Debuginfo of failed tests:"