diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
index 2475262c5c..fd66593184 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, s390x, x86_64
+# does not build without boards: i386, loongarch64, s390x, sh4, sh4eb, x86_64
 build-without-defaults:
   extends: .native_build_job_template
   needs:
@@ -666,7 +666,6 @@ build-without-defaults:
       --disable-strip
     TARGETS: alpha-softmmu avr-softmmu cris-softmmu hppa-softmmu m68k-softmmu
       mips-softmmu mips64-softmmu mipsel-softmmu
-      sh4-softmmu
       sparc64-softmmu hexagon-linux-user i386-linux-user s390x-linux-user
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check
 
diff --git a/configs/devices/sh4-softmmu/default.mak b/configs/devices/sh4-softmmu/default.mak
index 565e8b0b5d..c06a427053 100644
--- a/configs/devices/sh4-softmmu/default.mak
+++ b/configs/devices/sh4-softmmu/default.mak
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 #CONFIG_PCI_DEVICES=n
 #CONFIG_TEST_DEVICES=n
 
-# Boards:
-#
-CONFIG_R2D=y
-CONFIG_SHIX=y
+# Boards are selected by default, uncomment to keep out of the build.
+# CONFIG_R2D=n
+# CONFIG_SHIX=n
diff --git a/hw/sh4/Kconfig b/hw/sh4/Kconfig
index e0c4ecd1a5..99a76a94c3 100644
--- a/hw/sh4/Kconfig
+++ b/hw/sh4/Kconfig
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 config R2D
     bool
+    default y
+    depends on SH4
     imply PCI_DEVICES
     imply TEST_DEVICES
     imply RTL8139_PCI
@@ -13,6 +15,8 @@ config R2D
 
 config SHIX
     bool
+    default y
+    depends on SH4
     select SH7750
     select TC58128