diff --git a/hw/xnest/meson.build b/hw/xnest/meson.build
index 37ac5a691..1a981b906 100644
--- a/hw/xnest/meson.build
+++ b/hw/xnest/meson.build
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ executable(
         libxserver_xi_stubs,
         libxserver_xkb_stubs,
     ],
-    c_args: '-DHAVE_XNEST_CONFIG_H',
+    c_args: [ '-DHAVE_XNEST_CONFIG_H', '-DDISABLE_EXT_COMPOSITE', '-DDISABLE_EXT_DPMS', '-DISABLE_EXT_MITSHM' ],
     install: true,
 )
 
diff --git a/mi/miinitext.c b/mi/miinitext.c
index a04ea043e..67fd33fab 100644
--- a/mi/miinitext.c
+++ b/mi/miinitext.c
@@ -78,12 +78,19 @@ SOFTWARE.
 #include "xf86Extensions.h"
 #endif
 
-#ifdef HAVE_XNEST_CONFIG_H
-#include <xnest-config.h>
+/* some DDXes must explicitly prohibit some extensions */
+#ifdef DISABLE_EXT_COMPOSITE
 #undef COMPOSITE
+#endif
+
+#ifdef DISABLE_EXT_DPMS
 #undef DPMSExtension
 #endif
 
+#ifdef DISABLE_EXT_MITSHM
+#undef MITSHM
+#endif
+
 #include "misc.h"
 #include "extension.h"
 #include "extinit_priv.h"