diff --git a/include/ui/console.h b/include/ui/console.h
index 26d63d17a2..93bb03a9e2 100644
--- a/include/ui/console.h
+++ b/include/ui/console.h
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ typedef struct ScanoutTexture {
 } ScanoutTexture;
 
 typedef struct DisplaySurface {
-    pixman_format_code_t format;
     pixman_image_t *image;
     uint8_t flags;
 #ifdef CONFIG_OPENGL
@@ -436,23 +435,23 @@ static inline int surface_height(DisplaySurface *s)
     return pixman_image_get_height(s->image);
 }
 
+static inline pixman_format_code_t surface_format(DisplaySurface *s)
+{
+    return pixman_image_get_format(s->image);
+}
+
 static inline int surface_bits_per_pixel(DisplaySurface *s)
 {
-    int bits = PIXMAN_FORMAT_BPP(s->format);
+    int bits = PIXMAN_FORMAT_BPP(surface_format(s));
     return bits;
 }
 
 static inline int surface_bytes_per_pixel(DisplaySurface *s)
 {
-    int bits = PIXMAN_FORMAT_BPP(s->format);
+    int bits = PIXMAN_FORMAT_BPP(surface_format(s));
     return DIV_ROUND_UP(bits, 8);
 }
 
-static inline pixman_format_code_t surface_format(DisplaySurface *s)
-{
-    return s->format;
-}
-
 typedef uint32_t console_ch_t;
 
 static inline void console_write_ch(console_ch_t *dest, uint32_t ch)
diff --git a/ui/console-gl.c b/ui/console-gl.c
index 8e3c9a3c8c..103b954017 100644
--- a/ui/console-gl.c
+++ b/ui/console-gl.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ void surface_gl_create_texture(QemuGLShader *gls,
         return;
     }
 
-    switch (surface->format) {
+    switch (surface_format(surface)) {
     case PIXMAN_BE_b8g8r8x8:
     case PIXMAN_BE_b8g8r8a8:
         surface->glformat = GL_BGRA_EXT;
diff --git a/ui/console.c b/ui/console.c
index 7c60fc7d18..4ff9f8b6e7 100644
--- a/ui/console.c
+++ b/ui/console.c
@@ -1493,8 +1493,7 @@ DisplaySurface *qemu_create_displaysurface_from(int width, int height,
     DisplaySurface *surface = g_new0(DisplaySurface, 1);
 
     trace_displaysurface_create_from(surface, width, height, format);
-    surface->format = format;
-    surface->image = pixman_image_create_bits(surface->format,
+    surface->image = pixman_image_create_bits(format,
                                               width, height,
                                               (void *)data, linesize);
     assert(surface->image != NULL);
@@ -1511,7 +1510,6 @@ DisplaySurface *qemu_create_displaysurface_pixman(pixman_image_t *image)
     DisplaySurface *surface = g_new0(DisplaySurface, 1);
 
     trace_displaysurface_create_pixman(surface);
-    surface->format = pixman_image_get_format(image);
     surface->image = pixman_image_ref(image);
 
     return surface;
diff --git a/ui/gtk.c b/ui/gtk.c
index c05f9a3f83..e09f97a86b 100644
--- a/ui/gtk.c
+++ b/ui/gtk.c
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ static void gd_switch(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
     }
     vc->gfx.ds = surface;
 
-    if (surface->format == PIXMAN_x8r8g8b8) {
+    if (surface_format(surface) == PIXMAN_x8r8g8b8) {
         /*
          * PIXMAN_x8r8g8b8 == CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB24
          *
diff --git a/ui/spice-display.c b/ui/spice-display.c
index 0e2fbfb17c..5cc47bd668 100644
--- a/ui/spice-display.c
+++ b/ui/spice-display.c
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ void qemu_spice_display_switch(SimpleSpiceDisplay *ssd,
     }
     if (ssd->ds) {
         ssd->surface = pixman_image_ref(ssd->ds->image);
-        ssd->mirror  = qemu_pixman_mirror_create(ssd->ds->format,
+        ssd->mirror  = qemu_pixman_mirror_create(surface_format(ssd->ds),
                                                  ssd->ds->image);
         qemu_spice_create_host_primary(ssd);
     }
diff --git a/ui/vnc.c b/ui/vnc.c
index 22894b7b1f..6fd86996a5 100644
--- a/ui/vnc.c
+++ b/ui/vnc.c
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ static void vnc_dpy_switch(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
     /* guest surface */
     qemu_pixman_image_unref(vd->guest.fb);
     vd->guest.fb = pixman_image_ref(surface->image);
-    vd->guest.format = surface->format;
+    vd->guest.format = surface_format(surface);
 
 
     if (pageflip) {