diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index c626ccfa82c9ad8e076b6fdb76201592688a91d4..50eb67051135700e0f3faf65c6d8d5c49d337e9c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1649,10 +1649,13 @@ if libbpf.found() and not cc.links('''
 endif
 
 # libdw
-libdw = dependency('libdw',
-                   method: 'pkg-config',
-                   kwargs: static_kwargs,
-                   required: false)
+libdw = not_found
+if not get_option('libdw').auto() or have_system or have_user
+    libdw = dependency('libdw',
+                       method: 'pkg-config',
+                       kwargs: static_kwargs,
+                       required: get_option('libdw'))
+endif
 
 #################
 # config-host.h #
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index e5f199119ef02f115acdf188706903eb769b4432..56415c5c2322999bea675d846e593413826c990f 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ option('gio', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'use libgio for D-Bus support')
 option('glusterfs', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Glusterfs block device driver')
+option('libdw', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'debuginfo support')
 option('libiscsi', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'libiscsi userspace initiator')
 option('libnfs', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
diff --git a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
index c2982ea087b4bc3fc2ad90bb87f8adc4aec7e3d0..180c11665a552858a041e2d74d91aa9a70e921f4 100644
--- a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
+++ b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ meson_options_help() {
   printf "%s\n" '  kvm             KVM acceleration support'
   printf "%s\n" '  l2tpv3          l2tpv3 network backend support'
   printf "%s\n" '  libdaxctl       libdaxctl support'
+  printf "%s\n" '  libdw           debuginfo support'
   printf "%s\n" '  libiscsi        libiscsi userspace initiator'
   printf "%s\n" '  libnfs          libnfs block device driver'
   printf "%s\n" '  libpmem         libpmem support'
@@ -312,6 +313,8 @@ _meson_option_parse() {
     --enable-libdaxctl) printf "%s" -Dlibdaxctl=enabled ;;
     --disable-libdaxctl) printf "%s" -Dlibdaxctl=disabled ;;
     --libdir=*) quote_sh "-Dlibdir=$2" ;;
+    --enable-libdw) printf "%s" -Dlibdw=enabled ;;
+    --disable-libdw) printf "%s" -Dlibdw=disabled ;;
     --libexecdir=*) quote_sh "-Dlibexecdir=$2" ;;
     --enable-libiscsi) printf "%s" -Dlibiscsi=enabled ;;
     --disable-libiscsi) printf "%s" -Dlibiscsi=disabled ;;