diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
index 6c05c46397..41742ae962 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/buildtest.yml
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ build-user:
     job: amd64-debian-user-cross-container
   variables:
     IMAGE: debian-all-test-cross
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --disable-system
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --disable-system --enable-containers
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-tcg
 
 build-user-static:
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ build-user-static:
     job: amd64-debian-user-cross-container
   variables:
     IMAGE: debian-all-test-cross
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --disable-system --static
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --disable-system --static --enable-containers
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-tcg
 
 # Because the hexagon cross-compiler takes so long to build we don't rely
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ build-user-hexagon:
   variables:
     IMAGE: debian-hexagon-cross
     TARGETS: hexagon-linux-user
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --disable-docs --enable-debug-tcg
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --disable-docs --enable-debug-tcg --enable-containers
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-tcg
 
 # Only build the softmmu targets we have check-tcg tests for
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ build-some-softmmu:
     job: amd64-debian-user-cross-container
   variables:
     IMAGE: debian-all-test-cross
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --enable-debug
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --enable-debug --enable-containers
     TARGETS: xtensa-softmmu arm-softmmu aarch64-softmmu alpha-softmmu
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-tcg
 
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ build-tricore-softmmu:
     job: tricore-debian-cross-container
   variables:
     IMAGE: debian-tricore-cross
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --disable-fdt --enable-debug
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --disable-tools --disable-fdt --enable-debug --enable-containers
     TARGETS: tricore-softmmu
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-tcg
 
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ clang-system:
     job: amd64-fedora-container
   variables:
     IMAGE: fedora
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --cc=clang --cxx=clang++
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --enable-containers --cc=clang --cxx=clang++
       --extra-cflags=-fsanitize=undefined --extra-cflags=-fno-sanitize-recover=undefined
     TARGETS: alpha-softmmu arm-softmmu m68k-softmmu mips64-softmmu
       ppc-softmmu s390x-softmmu
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ clang-user:
     job: amd64-debian-user-cross-container
   variables:
     IMAGE: debian-all-test-cross
-    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --cc=clang --cxx=clang++ --disable-system
+    CONFIGURE_ARGS: --enable-containers --cc=clang --cxx=clang++ --disable-system
       --target-list-exclude=microblazeel-linux-user,aarch64_be-linux-user,i386-linux-user,m68k-linux-user,mipsn32el-linux-user,xtensaeb-linux-user
       --extra-cflags=-fsanitize=undefined --extra-cflags=-fno-sanitize-recover=undefined
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-unit check-tcg
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ build-tci:
     - TARGETS="aarch64 alpha arm hppa m68k microblaze ppc64 s390x x86_64"
     - mkdir build
     - cd build
-    - ../configure --enable-tcg-interpreter
+    - ../configure --enable-containers --enable-tcg-interpreter
         --target-list="$(for tg in $TARGETS; do echo -n ${tg}'-softmmu '; done)" || { cat config.log meson-logs/meson-log.txt && exit 1; }
     - make -j"$JOBS"
     - make tests/qtest/boot-serial-test tests/qtest/cdrom-test tests/qtest/pxe-test
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/crossbuilds.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/crossbuilds.yml
index c4cd96433d..b2519ff2e0 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/crossbuilds.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/crossbuilds.yml
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ cross-i386-tci:
   variables:
     IMAGE: fedora-i386-cross
     ACCEL: tcg-interpreter
-    EXTRA_CONFIGURE_OPTS: --target-list=i386-softmmu,i386-linux-user,aarch64-softmmu,aarch64-linux-user,ppc-softmmu,ppc-linux-user
+    EXTRA_CONFIGURE_OPTS: --target-list=i386-softmmu,i386-linux-user,aarch64-softmmu,aarch64-linux-user,ppc-softmmu,ppc-linux-user --enable-containers
     MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check check-tcg
 
 cross-mipsel-system:
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners/ubuntu-20.04-s390x.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners/ubuntu-20.04-s390x.yml
index 0c835939db..24bca3f995 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners/ubuntu-20.04-s390x.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners/ubuntu-20.04-s390x.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ ubuntu-20.04-s390x-all-linux-static:
  # --disable-glusterfs is needed because there's no static version of those libs in distro supplied packages
  - mkdir build
  - cd build
- - ../configure --enable-debug --static --disable-system --disable-glusterfs --disable-libssh
+ - ../configure --enable-debug --static --disable-system --disable-glusterfs --disable-libssh --enable-containers
    || { cat config.log meson-logs/meson-log.txt; exit 1; }
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc`
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc` check V=1
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners/ubuntu-22.04-aarch64.yml b/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners/ubuntu-22.04-aarch64.yml
index ce0b18af6f..db0c919fab 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners/ubuntu-22.04-aarch64.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.d/custom-runners/ubuntu-22.04-aarch64.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ ubuntu-22.04-aarch64-all-linux-static:
  - cd build
  # Disable -static-pie due to build error with system libc:
  # https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/glibc/+bug/1987438
- - ../configure --enable-debug --static --disable-system --disable-pie
+ - ../configure --enable-debug --static --disable-system --disable-pie --enable-containers
    || { cat config.log meson-logs/meson-log.txt; exit 1; }
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc --ignore=40`
  - make --output-sync -j`nproc --ignore=40` check V=1
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index baa69189f0..6fa158a0d4 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ cross_prefix=""
 host_cc="cc"
 stack_protector=""
 safe_stack=""
-use_containers="yes"
+use_containers="no"
 gdb_bin=$(command -v "gdb-multiarch" || command -v "gdb")
 
 if test -e "$source_path/.git"
@@ -1034,7 +1034,7 @@ Advanced options (experts only):
                            ucontext, sigaltstack, windows
   --enable-plugins
                            enable plugins via shared library loading
-  --disable-containers     don't use containers for cross-building
+  --enable-containers      use containers for cross-building
   --gdb=GDB-path           gdb to use for gdbstub tests [$gdb_bin]
 EOF
   meson_options_help
