diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
index 13f505f20d..2475262c5c 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ build-tci:
 # Check our reduced build configurations
 # requires libfdt: aarch64, arm, i386, loongarch64, microblaze, microblazeel,
 #   mips64el, or1k, ppc, ppc64, riscv32, riscv64, rx, x86_64
-# does not build without boards: i386, loongarch64, x86_64
+# does not build without boards: i386, loongarch64, s390x, x86_64
 build-without-defaults:
   extends: .native_build_job_template
   needs:
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ build-without-defaults:
       --disable-strip
     TARGETS: alpha-softmmu avr-softmmu cris-softmmu hppa-softmmu m68k-softmmu
       mips-softmmu mips64-softmmu mipsel-softmmu
-      s390x-softmmu sh4-softmmu
+      sh4-softmmu
       sparc64-softmmu hexagon-linux-user i386-linux-user s390x-linux-user
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check
 
diff --git a/configs/devices/s390x-softmmu/default.mak b/configs/devices/s390x-softmmu/default.mak
index 6d87bc8b4b..340c109292 100644
--- a/configs/devices/s390x-softmmu/default.mak
+++ b/configs/devices/s390x-softmmu/default.mak
@@ -9,6 +9,5 @@
 #CONFIG_WDT_DIAG288=n
 #CONFIG_PCIE_DEVICES=n
 
-# Boards:
-#
-CONFIG_S390_CCW_VIRTIO=y
+# Boards are selected by default, uncomment to keep out of the build.
+# CONFIG_S390_CCW_VIRTIO=n
diff --git a/hw/s390x/Kconfig b/hw/s390x/Kconfig
index 26ad104485..3bbf4ae56e 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/Kconfig
+++ b/hw/s390x/Kconfig
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 config S390_CCW_VIRTIO
     bool
+    default y
+    depends on S390X
     imply VIRTIO_PCI
     imply TERMINAL3270
     imply VFIO_AP