diff --git a/README b/README
index 6f2eb4a6f..d7bdb5c34 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ Supported, "standard" surface backends
 ------------------------------------
 	image backend (required)
 	------------------------
-	pixman >= 0.12.0	http://cairographics.org/releases
+	pixman >= 0.18.4	http://cairographics.org/releases
 
 	png support (can be left out if desired, but many
 	-----------  applications expect it to be present)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 47d2b99fd..7fa57cd0e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ CAIRO_ENABLE(test_surfaces, test surfaces, no)
 dnl ===========================================================================
 
 CAIRO_ENABLE_SURFACE_BACKEND(image, image, always, [
-  pixman_REQUIRES="pixman-1 >= 0.17.5"
+  pixman_REQUIRES="pixman-1 >= 0.18.4"
   PKG_CHECK_MODULES(pixman, $pixman_REQUIRES, , [AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
   use_image="no (requires $pixman_REQUIRES http://cairographics.org/releases/)"])
   image_REQUIRES=$pixman_REQUIRES