diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index 1582904..19a2990 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ obj-ppc-$(CONFIG_PSERIES) += spapr_pci.o device-hotplug.o pci-hotplug.o
 obj-ppc-y += ppc4xx_devs.o ppc4xx_pci.o ppc405_uc.o ppc405_boards.o
 obj-ppc-y += ppc440_bamboo.o
 # PowerPC E500 boards
-obj-ppc-y += ppce500_mpc8544ds.o mpc8544_guts.o ppce500_spin.o
+obj-ppc-$(CONFIG_FDT) += ppce500_mpc8544ds.o mpc8544_guts.o ppce500_spin.o
 # PowerPC 440 Xilinx ML507 reference board.
 obj-ppc-y += virtex_ml507.o
 obj-ppc-$(CONFIG_KVM) += kvm_ppc.o
diff --git a/hw/ppce500_mpc8544ds.c b/hw/ppce500_mpc8544ds.c
index 42a63aa..f162cd3 100644
--- a/hw/ppce500_mpc8544ds.c
+++ b/hw/ppce500_mpc8544ds.c
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ static int mpc8544_load_device_tree(CPUPPCState *env,
                                     const char *kernel_cmdline)
 {
     int ret = -1;
-#ifdef CONFIG_FDT
     uint32_t mem_reg_property[] = {0, cpu_to_be32(ramsize)};
     char *filename;
     int fdt_size;
@@ -173,7 +172,6 @@ static int mpc8544_load_device_tree(CPUPPCState *env,
     ret = fdt_size;
 
 out:
-#endif
 
     return ret;
 }
@@ -386,9 +384,6 @@ static void mpc8544ds_init(ram_addr_t ram_size,
         struct boot_info *boot_info;
         int dt_size;
 
-#ifndef CONFIG_FDT
-        cpu_abort(env, "Compiled without FDT support - can't load kernel\n");
-#endif
         dt_base = (loadaddr + kernel_size + DTC_LOAD_PAD) & ~DTC_PAD_MASK;
         dt_size = mpc8544_load_device_tree(env, dt_base, ram_size, initrd_base,
                                            initrd_size, kernel_cmdline);