diff --git a/tests/testapk/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidTests.java b/tests/testapk/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidTests.java
index a50ce98..8502ec3 100644
--- a/tests/testapk/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidTests.java
+++ b/tests/testapk/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidTests.java
@@ -1954,6 +1954,11 @@
         assumeFalse(
                 "Cuttlefish/Goldfish doesn't support device tree under /proc/device-tree",
                 isCuttlefish() || isGoldfish());
+        if (!isUpdatableVmSupported()) {
+            // TODO(b/389611249): Non protected VMs using legacy secret mechanisms do not reliably
+            // implement `AVmPayload_isNewInstance`.
+            assumeProtectedVM();
+        }
         VirtualMachine vm = forceCreateNewVirtualMachine("test_vm_a", config);
         TestResults testResults =
                 runVmTestService(