diff --git a/src/util/virhostuptime.c b/src/util/virhostuptime.c
index 62b781acd5..3189074d3d 100644
--- a/src/util/virhostuptime.c
+++ b/src/util/virhostuptime.c
@@ -25,16 +25,68 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "virhostuptime.h"
+#include "viralloc.h"
+#include "virfile.h"
+#include "virlog.h"
+#include "virstring.h"
+#include "virtime.h"
 #include "virthread.h"
 
+#define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_NONE
+
+VIR_LOG_INIT("util.virhostuptime");
+
 static unsigned long long bootTime;
 static int bootTimeErrno;
 static virOnceControl virHostGetBootTimeOnce = VIR_ONCE_CONTROL_INITIALIZER;
 
-#ifdef HAVE_GETUTXID
+#if defined(__linux__)
+# define UPTIME_FILE  "/proc/uptime"
+static int
+virHostGetBootTimeProcfs(unsigned long long *btime)
+{
+    unsigned long long now;
+    double up;
+    VIR_AUTOFREE (char *buf) = NULL;
+    char *tmp;
+
+    if (virTimeMillisNow(&now) < 0)
+        return -errno;
+
+    /* 1KiB limit is more than enough. */
+    if (virFileReadAll(UPTIME_FILE, 1024, &buf) < 0)
+        return -errno;
+
+    /* buf contains two doubles now:
+     *   $uptime $idle_time
+     * We're interested only in the first one */
+    if (!(tmp = strchr(buf, ' '))) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                       _("uptime file has unexpected format '%s'"),
+                       buf);
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+
+    *tmp = '\0';
+
+    if (virStrToDouble(buf, NULL, &up) < 0) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                       _("Unable to parse sched info value '%s'"),
+                       buf);
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+
+    *btime = now / 1000 - up + 0.5;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+#endif /* defined(__linux__) */
+
+#if defined(HAVE_GETUTXID) || defined(__linux__)
 static void
 virHostGetBootTimeOnceInit(void)
 {
+# ifdef HAVE_GETUTXID
     struct utmpx id = {.ut_type = BOOT_TIME};
     struct utmpx *res = NULL;
 
@@ -45,16 +97,21 @@
     }
 
     endutxent();
+# endif /* HAVE_GETUTXID */
+
+    if (bootTimeErrno != 0 || bootTimeErrno == 0) {
+        bootTimeErrno = -virHostGetBootTimeProcfs(&bootTime);
+    }
 }
 
-#else /* !HAVE_GETUTXID */
+#else /* !defined(HAVE_GETUTXID) && !defined(__linux__) */
 
 static void
 virHostGetBootTimeOnceInit(void)
 {
     bootTimeErrno = ENOSYS;
 }
-#endif /* HAVE_GETUTXID */
+#endif /* !defined(HAVE_GETUTXID) && !defined(__linux__) */
 
 /**
  * virHostGetBootTime:
--