diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8f40066be0..3fc92d0892 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1043,27 +1043,21 @@ fi
 
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(LIBNDP, [libndp])
 
-AC_ARG_WITH(readline,
-	AS_HELP_STRING([--with-readline=auto|libreadline|libedit|none], [Using libreadline (auto) or libedit]),
-        [], [with_readline=auto])
-
-if test "$with_readline" != "none" -a "$with_readline" != "auto" -a "$with_readline" != "libreadline" -a "$with_readline" != "libedit"; then
-        AC_MSG_ERROR([invalid --with-readline option])
-fi
-
-if test "$with_readline" != "none"; then
-        AX_LIB_READLINE
-        if test -z "${READLINE_LIBS}"; then
-                AC_MSG_FAILURE([readline library not found])
-        fi
-fi
+AX_LIB_READLINE
 
 AC_ARG_WITH(nmcli,
-            AS_HELP_STRING([--with-nmcli=yes|no], [Build nmcli]))
-if test "$with_nmcli" != no; then
-	build_nmcli=yes
+            AS_HELP_STRING([--with-nmcli=yes|no], [Build nmcli]),
+            [],
+            [with_nmcli=yes])
+if test "$with_nmcli" == yes; then
+    if test "$with_readline" = none; then
+        AC_MSG_FAILURE([nmcli requires readline library. Use --with-readline or --with-nmcli=no])
+    fi
+    build_nmcli=yes
+elif test "$with_nmcli" == no; then
+    build_nmcli=no
 else
-	build_nmcli=no
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([invalid --with-nmcli option. Valid options are --with-nmcli=yes|no])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_NMCLI, test "$build_nmcli" = yes)
 
diff --git a/m4/ax_lib_readline.m4 b/m4/ax_lib_readline.m4
index 3365e0b979..bbe42e7460 100644
--- a/m4/ax_lib_readline.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_lib_readline.m4
@@ -62,73 +62,97 @@
 
 AU_ALIAS([VL_LIB_READLINE], [AX_LIB_READLINE])
 AC_DEFUN([AX_LIB_READLINE], [
-  AC_CACHE_CHECK([for a readline compatible library],
-                 ax_cv_lib_readline, [
-    ORIG_LIBS="$LIBS"
 
-    search_readlines="readline edit"
-    if test "$with_readline" = "libreadline"; then
-      search_readlines="readline"
-    fi
-    if test "$with_readline" = "libedit"; then
-      search_readlines="edit"
-    fi
-    for readline_lib in $search_readlines; do
-      # prefer ncurses since we use it for nmtui too
-      for termcap_lib in "" termcap curses ncurses; do
-        if test -z "$termcap_lib"; then
-          TRY_LIB="-l$readline_lib"
-        else
-          TRY_LIB="-l$readline_lib -l$termcap_lib"
-        fi
-        LIBS="$ORIG_LIBS $TRY_LIB"
-        AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_CALL([], [readline])], [ax_cv_lib_readline="$TRY_LIB"])
+  AC_ARG_WITH(readline,
+              AS_HELP_STRING([--with-readline=auto|libreadline|libedit|none], [Using libreadline (auto) or libedit]),
+              [],
+              [with_readline=auto])
+
+  if test "$with_readline" != "none"; then
+
+    AC_CACHE_CHECK([for a readline compatible library],
+                   ax_cv_lib_readline, [
+      ORIG_LIBS="$LIBS"
+
+      if test "$with_readline" = "libreadline"; then
+        search_readlines="readline"
+      elif test "$with_readline" = "libedit"; then
+        search_readlines="edit"
+      elif test "$with_readline" = "auto"; then
+        search_readlines="readline edit"
+      else
+        AC_MSG_ERROR([invalid --with-readline option. Valid options are --with-readline=auto|libreadline|libedit|none])
+      fi
+
+      for readline_lib in $search_readlines; do
+        # prefer ncurses since we use it for nmtui too
+        for termcap_lib in "" termcap curses ncurses; do
+          if test -z "$termcap_lib"; then
+            TRY_LIB="-l$readline_lib"
+          else
+            TRY_LIB="-l$readline_lib -l$termcap_lib"
+          fi
+          LIBS="$ORIG_LIBS $TRY_LIB"
+          AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_CALL([], [readline])], [ax_cv_lib_readline="$TRY_LIB"])
+          if test -n "$ax_cv_lib_readline"; then
+            break
+          fi
+        done
         if test -n "$ax_cv_lib_readline"; then
+          if test "$with_readline" = auto; then
+            if test "$readline_lib" = readline; then
+              with_readline=libreadline
+            else
+              with_readline=libedit
+            fi
+          fi
           break
         fi
       done
-      if test -n "$ax_cv_lib_readline"; then
-        break
+      if test -z "$ax_cv_lib_readline"; then
+        if test "$with_readline" != auto; then
+          AC_MSG_ERROR([libreadline not found for --with-readline=$with_readline"])
+        fi
+        with_readline=none
+        ax_cv_lib_readline="no"
       fi
-    done
-    if test -z "$ax_cv_lib_readline"; then
-      ax_cv_lib_readline="no"
-    fi
-    LIBS="$ORIG_LIBS"
-  ])
-
-  if test "$ax_cv_lib_readline" != "no"; then
-    READLINE_LIBS="$ax_cv_lib_readline"
-    AC_SUBST(READLINE_LIBS)
-    AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBREADLINE, 1,
-              [Define if you have a readline compatible library])
-
-    if test "$with_readline" = "libedit"; then
-      AC_DEFINE(HAVE_EDITLINE_READLINE, 1,
-              [Explicitly set to 1 when libedit shall be used])
-    else
-      AC_DEFINE(HAVE_EDITLINE_READLINE, 0,
-              [By default the libreadline is used as readline library])
-
-    fi
-
-    ORIG_LIBS="$LIBS"
-    LIBS="$ORIG_LIBS $ax_cv_lib_readline"
-    AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether readline supports history],
-                   ax_cv_lib_readline_history, [
-      ax_cv_lib_readline_history="no"
-      AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_CALL([], [history_set_history_state])],
-              [ax_cv_lib_readline_history="yes"])
+      LIBS="$ORIG_LIBS"
     ])
-    LIBS=$ORIG_LIBS
 
-    if test "$ax_cv_lib_readline_history" = "yes"; then
-      AC_DEFINE(HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY, 1,
-        [Define if your readline library has \`history_set_history_state'])
-      AC_CHECK_HEADERS(readline/history.h histedit.h)
-    else
-      AC_DEFINE(HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY, 0,
-        [Explicitly set to 0 when libreadline shall not be used])
+    if test "$ax_cv_lib_readline" != "no"; then
+      READLINE_LIBS="$ax_cv_lib_readline"
+      AC_SUBST(READLINE_LIBS)
+      AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBREADLINE, 1,
+                [Define if you have a readline compatible library])
+
+      if test "$with_readline" = "libedit"; then
+        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_EDITLINE_READLINE, 1,
+                [Explicitly set to 1 when libedit shall be used])
+      else
+        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_EDITLINE_READLINE, 0,
+                [By default the libreadline is used as readline library])
+
+      fi
+
+      ORIG_LIBS="$LIBS"
+      LIBS="$ORIG_LIBS $ax_cv_lib_readline"
+      AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether readline supports history],
+                     ax_cv_lib_readline_history, [
+        ax_cv_lib_readline_history="no"
+        AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_CALL([], [history_set_history_state])],
+                [ax_cv_lib_readline_history="yes"])
+      ])
+      LIBS=$ORIG_LIBS
+
+      if test "$ax_cv_lib_readline_history" = "yes"; then
+        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY, 1,
+          [Define if your readline library has \`history_set_history_state'])
+        AC_CHECK_HEADERS(readline/history.h histedit.h)
+      else
+        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY, 0,
+          [Explicitly set to 0 when libreadline shall not be used])
+      fi
     fi
+
   fi
 ])dnl
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0c5a28fbc6..3c4be61509 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -735,31 +735,34 @@ config_h.set10('WITH_CONCHECK', enable_concheck)
 
 config_h.set10('HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY', false)
 config_h.set10('HAVE_EDITLINE_READLINE', false)
-enable_readline = get_option('readline')
-if enable_readline != 'none'
-  if enable_readline == 'libreadline' or enable_readline == 'auto'
-    readline = cc.find_library('readline')
+with_readline = get_option('readline')
+if with_readline != 'none'
+  if with_readline == 'libreadline' or with_readline == 'auto'
+    readline = cc.find_library('readline', required: false)
     if readline.found()
       readline_dep = declare_dependency(link_args: '-lreadline')
       config_h.set10('HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY', true)
+      with_readline = 'libreadline'
     else
-      assert(enable_readline == 'auto', 'libreadline was not found')
+      assert(with_readline == 'auto', 'libreadline was not found')
     endif
   endif
-  if enable_readline == 'libedit' or (enable_readline == 'auto' and not readline.found())
-    edit = dependency('libedit')
+  if with_readline == 'libedit' or with_readline == 'auto'
+    edit = dependency('libedit', required: false)
     if edit.found()
       readline_dep = declare_dependency(link_args: '-ledit')
       config_h.set10('HAVE_EDITLINE_READLINE', true)
+      with_readline = 'libedit'
     else
-      assert(enable_readline == 'auto', 'libedit was not found')
+      assert(with_readline == 'auto', 'libedit was not found')
+      with_readline = 'none'
     endif
   endif
 endif
 
 enable_nmcli = get_option('nmcli')
 if enable_nmcli
-  assert(enable_readline != 'none', 'readline library with terminfo support is required (one of readline, edit, or editline, AND one of ncurses, curses, or termcap)')
+  assert(with_readline != 'none', 'nmcli requires readline library (-Dnmcli=false or -Dreadline=auto|libreadline|libedit|none)')
 endif
 
 enable_nmtui = get_option('nmtui')
@@ -1095,5 +1098,5 @@ output += '  sanitizers: ' + get_option('b_sanitize') + '\n'
 output += '  Mozilla Public Suffix List: ' + enable_libpsl.to_string() + '\n'
 output += '  vapi: ' + enable_vapi.to_string() + '\n'
 output += '  ebpf: ' + enable_ebpf.to_string() + '\n'
-output += '  readline: ' + enable_readline + '\n'
+output += '  readline: ' + with_readline + '\n'
 message(output)