diff --git a/hw/display/ati.c b/hw/display/ati.c
index 9a87a5504a..569b8f6165 100644
--- a/hw/display/ati.c
+++ b/hw/display/ati.c
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@
 
 #define ATI_DEBUG_HW_CURSOR 0
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PIXMAN
+#define DEFAULT_X_PIXMAN 3
+#else
+#define DEFAULT_X_PIXMAN 0
+#endif
+
 static const struct {
     const char *name;
     uint16_t dev_id;
@@ -946,6 +952,12 @@ static void ati_vga_realize(PCIDevice *dev, Error **errp)
     ATIVGAState *s = ATI_VGA(dev);
     VGACommonState *vga = &s->vga;
 
+#ifndef CONFIG_PIXMAN
+    if (s->use_pixman != 0) {
+        warn_report("x-pixman != 0, not effective without PIXMAN");
+    }
+#endif
+
     if (s->model) {
         int i;
         for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(ati_model_aliases); i++) {
@@ -1033,7 +1045,8 @@ static Property ati_vga_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("x-device-id", ATIVGAState, dev_id,
                        PCI_DEVICE_ID_ATI_RAGE128_PF),
     DEFINE_PROP_BOOL("guest_hwcursor", ATIVGAState, cursor_guest_mode, false),
-    DEFINE_PROP_UINT8("x-pixman", ATIVGAState, use_pixman, 3),
+    /* this is a debug option, prefer PROP_UINT over PROP_BIT for simplicity */
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT8("x-pixman", ATIVGAState, use_pixman, DEFAULT_X_PIXMAN),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST()
 };
 
diff --git a/hw/display/ati_2d.c b/hw/display/ati_2d.c
index 0e6b8e4367..309bb5ccb6 100644
--- a/hw/display/ati_2d.c
+++ b/hw/display/ati_2d.c
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ void ati_2d_blt(ATIVGAState *s)
                 src_bits, dst_bits, src_stride, dst_stride, bpp, bpp,
                 src_x, src_y, dst_x, dst_y,
                 s->regs.dst_width, s->regs.dst_height);
+#ifdef CONFIG_PIXMAN
         if ((s->use_pixman & BIT(1)) &&
             s->regs.dp_cntl & DST_X_LEFT_TO_RIGHT &&
             s->regs.dp_cntl & DST_Y_TOP_TO_BOTTOM) {
@@ -147,7 +148,9 @@ void ati_2d_blt(ATIVGAState *s)
                                        s->regs.dst_width, s->regs.dst_height);
             }
             g_free(tmp);
-        } else {
+        } else
+#endif
+        {
             fallback = true;
         }
         if (fallback) {
@@ -206,9 +209,12 @@ void ati_2d_blt(ATIVGAState *s)
         DPRINTF("pixman_fill(%p, %d, %d, %d, %d, %d, %d, %x)\n",
                 dst_bits, dst_stride, bpp, dst_x, dst_y,
                 s->regs.dst_width, s->regs.dst_height, filler);
+#ifdef CONFIG_PIXMAN
         if (!(s->use_pixman & BIT(0)) ||
             !pixman_fill((uint32_t *)dst_bits, dst_stride, bpp, dst_x, dst_y,
-                    s->regs.dst_width, s->regs.dst_height, filler)) {
+                    s->regs.dst_width, s->regs.dst_height, filler))
+#endif
+        {
             /* fallback when pixman failed or we don't want to call it */
             unsigned int x, y, i, bypp = bpp / 8;
             unsigned int dst_pitch = dst_stride * sizeof(uint32_t);
diff --git a/hw/display/meson.build b/hw/display/meson.build
index 9c06aaee20..344dfe3d8c 100644
--- a/hw/display/meson.build
+++ b/hw/display/meson.build
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ system_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_XLNX_DISPLAYPORT', if_true: files('xlnx_dp.c'))
 
 system_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_ARTIST', if_true: files('artist.c'))
 
-system_ss.add(when: [pixman, 'CONFIG_ATI_VGA'], if_true: files('ati.c', 'ati_2d.c', 'ati_dbg.c'))
+system_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_ATI_VGA', if_true: [files('ati.c', 'ati_2d.c', 'ati_dbg.c'), pixman])
 
 
 if config_all_devices.has_key('CONFIG_VIRTIO_GPU')