diff --git a/Code/Framework/AzCore/CMakeLists.txt b/Code/Framework/AzCore/CMakeLists.txt
index eec5b37e03..60c5f50594 100644
--- a/Code/Framework/AzCore/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Code/Framework/AzCore/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@
 ly_get_list_relative_pal_filename(pal_dir ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/Platform/${PAL_PLATFORM_NAME})
 ly_get_list_relative_pal_filename(common_dir ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/Platform/Common)
 
-if(PAL_TRAIT_PROF_PIX_SUPPORTED AND LY_PIX_ENABLED)
-    set(LY_PIX_PATH "${LY_3RDPARTY_PATH}/winpixeventruntime" CACHE PATH "Path to the Windows Pix Event Runtime.")
-    set(AZ_CORE_PIX_BUILD_DEPENDENCIES 3rdParty::pix)
-    set(AZ_CORE_PIX_BUILD_DEFINES "USE_PIX")
+if(PAL_TRAIT_PROF_PIX_SUPPORTED)
+    set(LY_PIX_ENABLED OFF CACHE BOOL "Enables PIX profiler integration.")
+    if(LY_PIX_ENABLED)
+        message(STATUS "PIX found, enabling as profiler")
+        set(AZ_CORE_PIX_BUILD_DEPENDENCIES 3rdParty::pix)
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 ly_add_target(
@@ -41,9 +43,6 @@ ly_add_target(
             3rdParty::zstd
             3rdParty::cityhash
             ${AZ_CORE_PIX_BUILD_DEPENDENCIES}
-    COMPILE_DEFINITIONS
-        PUBLIC
-            ${AZ_CORE_PIX_BUILD_DEFINES}
 )
 ly_add_source_properties(
     SOURCES
diff --git a/cmake/3rdParty/FindPIX.cmake b/cmake/3rdParty/FindPIX.cmake
index e4652467ac..f69896f78f 100644
--- a/cmake/3rdParty/FindPIX.cmake
+++ b/cmake/3rdParty/FindPIX.cmake
@@ -6,14 +6,13 @@
 #
 #
 
-if(LY_PIX_ENABLED)
-    file(TO_CMAKE_PATH "${LY_PIX_PATH}" PIX_PATH)
-    message(STATUS "PIX found: ${PIX_PATH}")
+set(LY_PIX_PATH "${LY_3RDPARTY_PATH}/winpixeventruntime" CACHE PATH "Path to the Windows Pix Event Runtime.")
+
+ly_add_external_target(
+    NAME pix
+    3RDPARTY_ROOT_DIRECTORY ${LY_PIX_PATH}
+    VERSION
+    INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES Include
+    COMPILE_DEFINITIONS USE_PIX
+)
 
-    ly_add_external_target(
-        NAME pix
-        3RDPARTY_ROOT_DIRECTORY "${PIX_PATH}"
-        VERSION
-        INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES include
-    )
-endif()