diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 44ac9abc7e..9ead31d3e4 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1938,6 +1938,7 @@ fi
 
 if test "$xen" != "no" ; then
   xen_libs="-lxenstore -lxenctrl -lxenguest"
+  xen_stable_libs="-lxenforeignmemory -lxengnttab -lxenevtchn"
 
   # First we test whether Xen headers and libraries are available.
   # If no, we are done and there is no Xen support.
@@ -1960,6 +1961,57 @@ EOF
   # Xen unstable
   elif
       cat > $TMPC <<EOF &&
+/*
+ * If we have stable libs the we don't want the libxc compat
+ * layers, regardless of what CFLAGS we may have been given.
+ */
+#undef XC_WANT_COMPAT_EVTCHN_API
+#undef XC_WANT_COMPAT_GNTTAB_API
+#undef XC_WANT_COMPAT_MAP_FOREIGN_API
+#include <xenctrl.h>
+#include <xenstore.h>
+#include <xenevtchn.h>
+#include <xengnttab.h>
+#include <xenforeignmemory.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <xen/hvm/hvm_info_table.h>
+#if !defined(HVM_MAX_VCPUS)
+# error HVM_MAX_VCPUS not defined
+#endif
+int main(void) {
+  xc_interface *xc = NULL;
+  xenforeignmemory_handle *xfmem;
+  xenevtchn_handle *xe;
+  xengnttab_handle *xg;
+  xen_domain_handle_t handle;
+
+  xs_daemon_open();
+
+  xc = xc_interface_open(0, 0, 0);
+  xc_hvm_set_mem_type(0, 0, HVMMEM_ram_ro, 0, 0);
+  xc_domain_add_to_physmap(0, 0, XENMAPSPACE_gmfn, 0, 0);
+  xc_hvm_inject_msi(xc, 0, 0xf0000000, 0x00000000);
+  xc_hvm_create_ioreq_server(xc, 0, HVM_IOREQSRV_BUFIOREQ_ATOMIC, NULL);
+  xc_domain_create(xc, 0, handle, 0, NULL, NULL);
+
+  xfmem = xenforeignmemory_open(0, 0);
+  xenforeignmemory_map(xfmem, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0);
+
+  xe = xenevtchn_open(0, 0);
+  xenevtchn_fd(xe);
+
+  xg = xengnttab_open(0, 0);
+  xengnttab_map_grant_ref(xg, 0, 0, 0);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+EOF
+      compile_prog "" "$xen_libs $xen_stable_libs"
+    then
+    xen_ctrl_version=471
+    xen=yes
+  elif
+      cat > $TMPC <<EOF &&
 #include <xenctrl.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 int main(void) {
@@ -2153,6 +2205,9 @@ EOF
   fi
 
   if test "$xen" = yes; then
+    if test $xen_ctrl_version -ge 471  ; then
+      libs_softmmu="$xen_stable_libs $libs_softmmu"
+    fi
     libs_softmmu="$xen_libs $libs_softmmu"
   fi
 fi
diff --git a/include/hw/xen/xen_common.h b/include/hw/xen/xen_common.h
index 95275b34c4..19f1577e8f 100644
--- a/include/hw/xen/xen_common.h
+++ b/include/hw/xen/xen_common.h
@@ -6,6 +6,15 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 
+/*
+ * If we have new enough libxenctrl then we do not want/need these compat
+ * interfaces, despite what the user supplied cflags might say. They
+ * must be undefined before including xenctrl.h
+ */
+#undef XC_WANT_COMPAT_EVTCHN_API
+#undef XC_WANT_COMPAT_GNTTAB_API
+#undef XC_WANT_COMPAT_MAP_FOREIGN_API
+
 #include <xenctrl.h>
 #if CONFIG_XEN_CTRL_INTERFACE_VERSION < 420
 #  include <xs.h>
@@ -148,8 +157,8 @@ static inline void xs_close(struct xs_handle *xsh)
 }
 
 
-/* Xen 4.1 */
-#else
+/* Xen 4.1 thru 4.6 */
+#elif CONFIG_XEN_CTRL_INTERFACE_VERSION < 471
 
 typedef xc_interface *XenXC;
 typedef xc_interface *xenforeignmemory_handle;
@@ -184,6 +193,28 @@ static inline XenXC xen_xc_interface_open(void *logger, void *dombuild_logger,
 
 /* See below for xenforeignmemory_* APIs */
 
+/* FIXME There is no way to have the xen fd */
+static inline int xc_fd(xc_interface *xen_xc)
+{
+    return -1;
+}
+#else /* CONFIG_XEN_CTRL_INTERFACE_VERSION >= 471 */
+
+typedef xc_interface *XenXC;
+
+#  define XC_INTERFACE_FMT "%p"
+#  define XC_HANDLER_INITIAL_VALUE    NULL
+
+#include <xenevtchn.h>
+#include <xengnttab.h>
+#include <xenforeignmemory.h>
+
+static inline XenXC xen_xc_interface_open(void *logger, void *dombuild_logger,
+                                          unsigned int open_flags)
+{
+    return xc_interface_open(logger, dombuild_logger, open_flags);
+}
+
 /* FIXME There is now way to have the xen fd */
 static inline int xc_fd(xc_interface *xen_xc)
 {