diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/make-emacs.nix b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/make-emacs.nix
index 48759700d0bc..841ab42f23f3 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/make-emacs.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/emacs/make-emacs.nix
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@
   withGTK3 ? withPgtk && !noGui,
   withGlibNetworking ? withPgtk || withGTK3 || (withX && withXwidgets),
   withGpm ? stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux,
-  withImageMagick ? lib.versionOlder version "27" && (withX || withNS),
+  # https://github.com/emacs-mirror/emacs/blob/master/etc/NEWS.27#L140-L142
+  withImageMagick ? false,
   # Emacs 30+ has native JSON support
   withJansson ? lib.versionOlder version "30",
   withMailutils ? true,
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ assert noGui -> !(withX || withGTK3 || withNS || variant == "macport");
 assert withAcl -> stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux;
 assert withAlsaLib -> stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux;
 assert withGpm -> stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux;
+assert withImageMagick -> (withX || withNS);
 assert withNS -> stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin && !(withX || variant == "macport");
 assert withPgtk -> withGTK3 && !withX;
 assert withXwidgets -> !noGui && (withGTK3 || withPgtk);