diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b522b10195..e4866d9bd3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -118,6 +118,15 @@ endif
 
 subdir-libcacard: $(oslib-obj-y) $(trace-obj-y) qemu-timer-common.o
 
+subdir-pixman: pixman/Makefile
+	$(call quiet-command,$(MAKE) $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) -C pixman V="$(V)" all,)
+
+pixman/Makefile: $(SRC_PATH)/pixman/configure
+	(cd pixman; $(SRC_PATH)/pixman/configure --disable-shared --enable-static)
+
+$(SRC_PATH)/pixman/configure:
+	(cd $(SRC_PATH)/pixman; autoreconf -v --install)
+
 $(filter %-softmmu,$(SUBDIR_RULES)): $(universal-obj-y) $(trace-obj-y) $(common-obj-y) $(extra-obj-y) subdir-libdis
 
 $(filter %-user,$(SUBDIR_RULES)): $(universal-obj-y) $(trace-obj-y) subdir-libdis-user subdir-libuser
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9c6ac875a5..79701ea27b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ curses=""
 docs=""
 fdt=""
 nptl=""
+pixman=""
 sdl=""
 virtfs=""
 vnc="yes"
@@ -642,6 +643,10 @@ for opt do
     # configure to be used by RPM and similar macros that set
     # lots of directory switches by default.
   ;;
+  --with-system-pixman) pixman="system"
+  ;;
+  --without-system-pixman) pixman="internal"
+  ;;
   --disable-sdl) sdl="no"
   ;;
   --enable-sdl) sdl="yes"
@@ -2094,6 +2099,34 @@ else
     exit 1
 fi
 
+##########################################
+# pixman support probe
+
+if test "$pixman" = ""; then
+  if $pkg_config pixman-1 > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    pixman="system"
+  else
+    pixman="internal"
+  fi
+fi
+if test "$pixman" = "system"; then
+  pixman_cflags=`$pkg_config --cflags pixman-1 2>/dev/null`
+  pixman_libs=`$pkg_config --libs pixman-1 2>/dev/null`
+else
+  if test ! -d ${source_path}/pixman/pixman; then
+    echo "ERROR: pixman not present. Your options:"
+    echo "  (1) Prefered: Install the pixman devel package (any recent"
+    echo "      distro should have packages as Xorg needs pixman too)."
+    echo "  (2) Fetch the pixman submodule, using:"
+    echo "      git submodule update --init pixman"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  pixman_cflags="-I${source_path}/pixman/pixman"
+  pixman_libs="-Lpixman/pixman/.libs -lpixman-1"
+fi
+QEMU_CFLAGS="$QEMU_CFLAGS $pixman_cflags"
+libs_softmmu="$libs_softmmu $pixman_libs"
+
 ##########################################
 # libcap probe
 
@@ -3142,6 +3175,7 @@ echo "-Werror enabled   $werror"
 if test "$darwin" = "yes" ; then
     echo "Cocoa support     $cocoa"
 fi
+echo "pixman            $pixman"
 echo "SDL support       $sdl"
 echo "curses support    $curses"
 echo "curl support      $curl"
@@ -3908,6 +3942,9 @@ if test "$target_softmmu" = "yes" ; then
   if test "$smartcard_nss" = "yes" ; then
     echo "subdir-$target: subdir-libcacard" >> $config_host_mak
   fi
+  if test "$pixman" = "internal" ; then
+    echo "subdir-$target: subdir-pixman" >> $config_host_mak
+  fi
   case "$target_arch2" in
     i386|x86_64)
       echo "CONFIG_HAVE_CORE_DUMP=y" >> $config_target_mak
@@ -4111,6 +4148,7 @@ DIRS="$DIRS pc-bios/optionrom pc-bios/spapr-rtas"
 DIRS="$DIRS roms/seabios roms/vgabios"
 DIRS="$DIRS qapi-generated"
 DIRS="$DIRS libcacard libcacard/libcacard libcacard/trace"
+DIRS="$DIRS pixman"
 FILES="Makefile tests/tcg/Makefile qdict-test-data.txt"
 FILES="$FILES tests/tcg/cris/Makefile tests/tcg/cris/.gdbinit"
 FILES="$FILES tests/tcg/lm32/Makefile libcacard/Makefile"