diff --git a/hw/display/sm501.c b/hw/display/sm501.c
index 0eecd00701..282671d1b3 100644
--- a/hw/display/sm501.c
+++ b/hw/display/sm501.c
@@ -438,6 +438,12 @@
 #define SM501_HWC_WIDTH                 64
 #define SM501_HWC_HEIGHT                64
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PIXMAN
+#define DEFAULT_X_PIXMAN 7
+#else
+#define DEFAULT_X_PIXMAN 0
+#endif
+
 /* SM501 local memory size taken from "linux/drivers/mfd/sm501.c" */
 static const uint32_t sm501_mem_local_size[] = {
     [0] = 4 * MiB,
@@ -730,7 +736,6 @@ static void sm501_2d_operation(SM501State *s)
     switch (cmd) {
     case 0: /* BitBlt */
     {
-        static uint32_t tmp_buf[16384];
         unsigned int src_x = (s->twoD_source >> 16) & 0x01FFF;
         unsigned int src_y = s->twoD_source & 0xFFFF;
         uint32_t src_base = s->twoD_source_base & 0x03FFFFFF;
@@ -828,9 +833,11 @@ static void sm501_2d_operation(SM501State *s)
                 de = db + (width + (height - 1) * dst_pitch) * bypp;
                 overlap = (db < se && sb < de);
             }
+#ifdef CONFIG_PIXMAN
             if (overlap && (s->use_pixman & BIT(2))) {
                 /* pixman can't do reverse blit: copy via temporary */
                 int tmp_stride = DIV_ROUND_UP(width * bypp, sizeof(uint32_t));
+                static uint32_t tmp_buf[16384];
                 uint32_t *tmp = tmp_buf;
 
                 if (tmp_stride * sizeof(uint32_t) * height > sizeof(tmp_buf)) {
@@ -860,9 +867,12 @@ static void sm501_2d_operation(SM501State *s)
                                        dst_pitch * bypp / sizeof(uint32_t),
                                        8 * bypp, 8 * bypp, src_x, src_y,
                                        dst_x, dst_y, width, height);
-            } else {
+            } else
+#else
+            {
                 fallback = true;
             }
+#endif
             if (fallback) {
                 uint8_t *sp = s->local_mem + src_base;
                 uint8_t *d = s->local_mem + dst_base;
@@ -894,20 +904,23 @@ static void sm501_2d_operation(SM501State *s)
             color = cpu_to_le16(color);
         }
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PIXMAN
         if (!(s->use_pixman & BIT(0)) || (width == 1 && height == 1) ||
             !pixman_fill((uint32_t *)&s->local_mem[dst_base],
                          dst_pitch * bypp / sizeof(uint32_t), 8 * bypp,
-                         dst_x, dst_y, width, height, color)) {
-            /* fallback when pixman failed or we don't want to call it */
-            uint8_t *d = s->local_mem + dst_base;
-            unsigned int x, y, i;
-            for (y = 0; y < height; y++) {
-                i = (dst_x + (dst_y + y) * dst_pitch) * bypp;
-                for (x = 0; x < width; x++, i += bypp) {
-                    stn_he_p(&d[i], bypp, color);
+                         dst_x, dst_y, width, height, color))
+#endif
+            {
+                /* fallback when pixman failed or we don't want to call it */
+                uint8_t *d = s->local_mem + dst_base;
+                unsigned int x, y, i;
+                for (y = 0; y < height; y++) {
+                    i = (dst_x + (dst_y + y) * dst_pitch) * bypp;
+                    for (x = 0; x < width; x++, i += bypp) {
+                        stn_he_p(&d[i], bypp, color);
+                    }
                 }
             }
-        }
         break;
     }
     default:
@@ -1875,9 +1888,15 @@ static void sm501_reset(SM501State *s)
     s->twoD_wrap = 0;
 }
 
-static void sm501_init(SM501State *s, DeviceState *dev,
-                       uint32_t local_mem_bytes)
+static bool sm501_init(SM501State *s, DeviceState *dev,
+                       uint32_t local_mem_bytes, Error **errp)
 {
+#ifndef CONFIG_PIXMAN
+    if (s->use_pixman != 0) {
+        error_setg(&error_warn, "x-pixman != 0, not effective without PIXMAN");
+    }
+#endif
+
     s->local_mem_size_index = get_local_mem_size_index(local_mem_bytes);
 
     /* local memory */
@@ -1916,6 +1935,7 @@ static void sm501_init(SM501State *s, DeviceState *dev,
 
     /* create qemu graphic console */
     s->con = graphic_console_init(dev, 0, &sm501_ops, s);
+    return true;
 }
 
 static const VMStateDescription vmstate_sm501_state = {
@@ -2014,7 +2034,9 @@ static void sm501_realize_sysbus(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     SysBusDevice *sbd = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
     MemoryRegion *mr;
 
-    sm501_init(&s->state, dev, s->vram_size);
+    if (!sm501_init(&s->state, dev, s->vram_size, errp)) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (get_local_mem_size(&s->state) != s->vram_size) {
         error_setg(errp, "Invalid VRAM size, nearest valid size is %" PRIu32,
                    get_local_mem_size(&s->state));
@@ -2038,7 +2060,8 @@ static void sm501_realize_sysbus(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
 static Property sm501_sysbus_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("vram-size", SM501SysBusState, vram_size, 0),
-    DEFINE_PROP_UINT8("x-pixman", SM501SysBusState, state.use_pixman, 7),
+    /* this a debug option, prefer PROP_UINT over PROP_BIT for simplicity */
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT8("x-pixman", SM501SysBusState, state.use_pixman, DEFAULT_X_PIXMAN),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
@@ -2112,7 +2135,9 @@ static void sm501_realize_pci(PCIDevice *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     SM501PCIState *s = PCI_SM501(dev);
 
-    sm501_init(&s->state, DEVICE(dev), s->vram_size);
+    if (!sm501_init(&s->state, DEVICE(dev), s->vram_size, errp)) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (get_local_mem_size(&s->state) != s->vram_size) {
         error_setg(errp, "Invalid VRAM size, nearest valid size is %" PRIu32,
                    get_local_mem_size(&s->state));
@@ -2126,7 +2151,7 @@ static void sm501_realize_pci(PCIDevice *dev, Error **errp)
 
 static Property sm501_pci_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("vram-size", SM501PCIState, vram_size, 64 * MiB),
-    DEFINE_PROP_UINT8("x-pixman", SM501PCIState, state.use_pixman, 7),
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT8("x-pixman", SM501PCIState, state.use_pixman, DEFAULT_X_PIXMAN),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
