diff --git a/tools/blktap2/drivers/tapdisk-vbd.c b/tools/blktap2/drivers/tapdisk-vbd.c
index c665f270cc..6d1d94ad2f 100644
--- a/tools/blktap2/drivers/tapdisk-vbd.c
+++ b/tools/blktap2/drivers/tapdisk-vbd.c
@@ -1684,7 +1684,7 @@ tapdisk_vbd_check_ring_message(td_vbd_t *vbd)
 	if (!vbd->ring.sring)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	switch (vbd->ring.sring->private.tapif_user.msg) {
+	switch (vbd->ring.sring->pvt.tapif_user.msg) {
 	case 0:
 		return 0;
 
diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
index cb006dfafa..a8b08f2d9e 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_dm.c
@@ -180,7 +180,14 @@ static char ** libxl__build_device_model_args_old(libxl__gc *gc,
         if (libxl_defbool_val(vnc->findunused)) {
             flexarray_append(dm_args, "-vncunused");
         }
-    }
+    } else
+        /*
+         * VNC is not enabled by default by qemu-xen-traditional,
+         * however passing -vnc none causes SDL to not be
+         * (unexpectedly) enabled by default. This is overridden by
+         * explicitly passing -sdl below as required.
+         */
+        flexarray_append_pair(dm_args, "-vnc", "none");
 
     if (sdl) {
         flexarray_append(dm_args, "-sdl");
@@ -522,7 +529,17 @@ static char ** libxl__build_device_model_args_new(libxl__gc *gc,
         }
 
         flexarray_append(dm_args, vncarg);
-    }
+    } else
+        /*
+         * Ensure that by default no vnc server is created.
+         */
+        flexarray_append_pair(dm_args, "-vnc", "none");
+
+    /*
+     * Ensure that by default no display backend is created. Further
+     * options given below might then enable more.
+     */
+    flexarray_append_pair(dm_args, "-display", "none");
 
     if (sdl) {
         flexarray_append(dm_args, "-sdl");
diff --git a/xen/include/Makefile b/xen/include/Makefile
index d48a642b56..c7a1d527dd 100644
--- a/xen/include/Makefile
+++ b/xen/include/Makefile
@@ -104,8 +104,7 @@ headers.chk: $(PUBLIC_ANSI_HEADERS) Makefile
 headers++.chk: $(PUBLIC_HEADERS) Makefile
 	if $(CXX) -v >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
 	    for i in $(filter %.h,$^); do \
-	        $(CXX) -x c++ -std=gnu++98 -Wall -Werror \
-	               -D__XEN_TOOLS__ -Dprivate=private_is_a_keyword_in_cpp \
+	        $(CXX) -x c++ -std=gnu++98 -Wall -Werror -D__XEN_TOOLS__ \
 	               -include stdint.h -include public/xen.h \
 	               -S -o /dev/null $$i || exit 1; \
 	        echo $$i; \
diff --git a/xen/include/public/io/ring.h b/xen/include/public/io/ring.h
index 73e13d7ae4..ba9401b779 100644
--- a/xen/include/public/io/ring.h
+++ b/xen/include/public/io/ring.h
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ struct __name##_sring {                                                 \
             uint8_t msg;                                                \
         } tapif_user;                                                   \
         uint8_t pvt_pad[4];                                             \
-    } private;                                                          \
+    } pvt;                                                              \
     uint8_t __pad[44];                                                  \
     union __name##_sring_entry ring[1]; /* variable-length */           \
 };                                                                      \
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ typedef struct __name##_back_ring __name##_back_ring_t
 #define SHARED_RING_INIT(_s) do {                                       \
     (_s)->req_prod  = (_s)->rsp_prod  = 0;                              \
     (_s)->req_event = (_s)->rsp_event = 1;                              \
-    (void)memset((_s)->private.pvt_pad, 0, sizeof((_s)->private.pvt_pad)); \
+    (void)memset((_s)->pvt.pvt_pad, 0, sizeof((_s)->pvt.pvt_pad));      \
     (void)memset((_s)->__pad, 0, sizeof((_s)->__pad));                  \
 } while(0)