diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9ac2600230..a9e4d49483 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -4211,9 +4211,9 @@ EOF
   fi
 fi
 
-# add pixman flags after all config tests are done
-QEMU_CFLAGS="$QEMU_CFLAGS $pixman_cflags $fdt_cflags"
-libs_softmmu="$libs_softmmu $pixman_libs"
+# prepend pixman and ftd flags after all config tests are done
+QEMU_CFLAGS="$pixman_cflags $fdt_cflags $QEMU_CFLAGS"
+libs_softmmu="$pixman_libs $libs_softmmu"
 
 echo "Install prefix    $prefix"
 echo "BIOS directory    `eval echo $qemu_datadir`"