diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
index a65b5fc956..13f505f20d 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ build-tci:
 
 # Check our reduced build configurations
 # requires libfdt: aarch64, arm, i386, loongarch64, microblaze, microblazeel,
-#   mips64el, or1k, ppc, ppc64, riscv32, riscv64, x86_64
+#   mips64el, or1k, ppc, ppc64, riscv32, riscv64, rx, x86_64
 # does not build without boards: i386, loongarch64, x86_64
 build-without-defaults:
   extends: .native_build_job_template
diff --git a/configs/devices/rx-softmmu/default.mak b/configs/devices/rx-softmmu/default.mak
index df2b4e4f42..e7caebe197 100644
--- a/configs/devices/rx-softmmu/default.mak
+++ b/configs/devices/rx-softmmu/default.mak
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 # Default configuration for rx-softmmu
 
-CONFIG_RX_GDBSIM=y
+# Boards are selected by default, uncomment to keep out of the build.
+# CONFIG_RX_GDBSIM=n
diff --git a/hw/rx/Kconfig b/hw/rx/Kconfig
index 2b297c5a6a..b2fa2b7eec 100644
--- a/hw/rx/Kconfig
+++ b/hw/rx/Kconfig
@@ -7,4 +7,6 @@ config RX62N_MCU
 
 config RX_GDBSIM
     bool
+    default y
+    depends on RX
     select RX62N_MCU