diff --git a/exec.c b/exec.c
index fe64009f0ce89e0b9f2e6565ffb5164e3a176ebe..bc37c7b485233d663053e5a14221df362fff8c9d 100644
--- a/exec.c
+++ b/exec.c
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
 #include "cpu.h"
 #include "tcg.h"
 #include "hw/hw.h"
+#if !defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
 #include "hw/boards.h"
+#endif
 #include "hw/qdev.h"
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "sysemu/kvm.h"
diff --git a/include/hw/boards.h b/include/hw/boards.h
index cd6deb0547fdf4a241835e46e9d3cde56e19c86f..f44d6f542aae303443199e79a671fc10c76e9451 100644
--- a/include/hw/boards.h
+++ b/include/hw/boards.h
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 #ifndef HW_BOARDS_H
 #define HW_BOARDS_H
 
-#if !defined(CONFIG_USER_ONLY)
-
 #include "qemu/typedefs.h"
 #include "sysemu/blockdev.h"
 #include "sysemu/accel.h"
@@ -158,5 +156,3 @@ struct MachineState {
 };
 
 #endif
-
-#endif