diff --git a/mfd_kvm/hypervisor.py b/mfd_kvm/hypervisor.py
index 5acf9fc..36741da 100644
--- a/mfd_kvm/hypervisor.py
+++ b/mfd_kvm/hypervisor.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import typing
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass, fields
+from functools import cached_property
 from pathlib import Path, PurePosixPath
 from random import choice
 from time import sleep, time
@@ -148,6 +149,18 @@ def __init__(self, *, connection: "PythonConnection") -> None:
         self._conn = connection
         self.virt_tool = VirshInterface(connection=connection)
 
+    @cached_property
+    def _rsync_available(self) -> bool:
+        """Check once per hypervisor instance whether rsync is available."""
+        return (
+            self._conn.execute_command(
+                "command -v rsync",
+                shell=True,
+                expected_return_codes={0, 1},
+            ).return_code
+            == 0
+        )
+
     @staticmethod
     def get_name_from_ip(ip: IPAddress, prefix: str = "amval") -> str:
         """
@@ -887,11 +900,14 @@ def clone_vm_hdd_image(
         )
         if path_to_source_image.is_file():
             timeout_counter = TimeoutCounter(timeout)
+            copy_command = "rsync -aqc" if self._rsync_available else "scp"
             # show 5 column of ls, size of file
             target_size = self._conn.execute_command(
                 f"ls {path_to_source_image} -l | awk '{{print $5}}'", shell=True
             ).stdout
-            copy_process = self._conn.start_process(f"scp {path_to_source_image} {path_to_destination_image}")
+            copy_process = self._conn.start_process(
+                f"{copy_command} {path_to_source_image} {path_to_destination_image}"
+            )
             logger.log(log_levels.MODULE_DEBUG, msg="Checking if cloning is completed..")
             while not timeout_counter:
                 if not copy_process.running:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_mfd_kvm/test_hypervisor.py b/tests/unit/test_mfd_kvm/test_hypervisor.py
index ef17e37..97866e7 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_mfd_kvm/test_hypervisor.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_mfd_kvm/test_hypervisor.py
@@ -893,7 +893,11 @@ def test_clone_vm_hdd_image_timeout_exceeded(self, hv, mocker):
                 timeout=timeout,
             )
 
-    def test_clone_vm_hdd_image_source_file_exists_and_succeeded(self, hv, mocker):
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("rsync_return_code", "copy_command"),
+        [(0, "rsync -aqc"), (1, "scp")],
+    )
+    def test_clone_vm_hdd_image_source_file_exists_and_succeeded(self, hv, mocker, rsync_return_code, copy_command):
         timeout_mocker = mocker.patch("mfd_kvm.hypervisor.TimeoutCounter")
         timeout_mocker.return_value.__bool__.return_value = False
         process = mocker.create_autospec(RPyCProcess)
@@ -901,11 +905,27 @@ def test_clone_vm_hdd_image_source_file_exists_and_succeeded(self, hv, mocker):
         hv._conn.start_process.return_value = process
         dest_path = Path("/foo/destination")
         path_mocker = mocker.patch("mfd_kvm.hypervisor.Path")
-        path_mocker.isfile.return_value = True
-        new_name = hv.clone_vm_hdd_image(path_to_source_image=path_mocker, path_to_destination_image=dest_path)
+        path_mocker.is_file.return_value = True
+        hv._conn.execute_command.side_effect = [
+            ConnectionCompletedProcess(args="", return_code=rsync_return_code),
+            ConnectionCompletedProcess(args="", stdout="100", return_code=0),
+            ConnectionCompletedProcess(args="", stdout="100", return_code=0),
+        ]
+        new_names = [
+            hv.clone_vm_hdd_image(path_to_source_image=path_mocker, path_to_destination_image=dest_path)
+            for _ in range(2)
+        ]
 
-        hv._conn.start_process.assert_called_once_with(f"scp {path_mocker} {dest_path}")
-        assert new_name, str(dest_path)
+        assert hv._conn.execute_command.call_args_list == [
+            mocker.call("command -v rsync", shell=True, expected_return_codes={0, 1}),
+            mocker.call(f"ls {path_mocker} -l | awk '{{print $5}}'", shell=True),
+            mocker.call(f"ls {path_mocker} -l | awk '{{print $5}}'", shell=True),
+        ]
+        assert hv._conn.start_process.call_args_list == [
+            mocker.call(f"{copy_command} {path_mocker} {dest_path}"),
+            mocker.call(f"{copy_command} {path_mocker} {dest_path}"),
+        ]
+        assert new_names == [dest_path, dest_path]
 
     def test_clone_vm_hdd_image_still_cloning(self, hv, mocker, caplog):
         caplog.set_level(log_levels.MODULE_DEBUG)
@@ -917,9 +937,10 @@ def test_clone_vm_hdd_image_still_cloning(self, hv, mocker, caplog):
         path_mocker = mocker.patch("mfd_kvm.hypervisor.Path")
         dest_path = mocker.patch("mfd_kvm.hypervisor.Path")
         mocker.patch("mfd_kvm.hypervisor.sleep")
-        path_mocker.isfile.return_value = True
+        path_mocker.is_file.return_value = True
         dest_path.exists.return_value = True
         hv._conn.execute_command.side_effect = [
+            ConnectionCompletedProcess(args="", return_code=0),
             ConnectionCompletedProcess(args="", stdout="100", return_code=0),
             ConnectionCompletedProcess(args="", stdout="10", return_code=0),
         ]