diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c4e345224c..8f40066be0 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1043,10 +1043,24 @@ 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
+
 AC_ARG_WITH(nmcli,
             AS_HELP_STRING([--with-nmcli=yes|no], [Build nmcli]))
 if test "$with_nmcli" != no; then
-	AX_LIB_READLINE
 	build_nmcli=yes
 else
 	build_nmcli=no
@@ -1420,4 +1434,5 @@ echo "  crypto: $with_crypto (have-gnutls: $have_crypto_gnutls, have-nss: $have_
 echo "  sanitizers: $sanitizers"
 echo "  Mozilla Public Suffix List: $with_libpsl"
 echo "  eBPF: $have_ebpf"
+echo "  readline: $with_readline"
 echo
diff --git a/m4/ax_lib_readline.m4 b/m4/ax_lib_readline.m4
index 1fcf504141..3365e0b979 100644
--- a/m4/ax_lib_readline.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_lib_readline.m4
@@ -65,7 +65,16 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_LIB_READLINE], [
   AC_CACHE_CHECK([for a readline compatible library],
                  ax_cv_lib_readline, [
     ORIG_LIBS="$LIBS"
-    for readline_lib in readline edit editline; do
+
+    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$readline_lib"
@@ -93,7 +102,16 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_LIB_READLINE], [
     AC_SUBST(READLINE_LIBS)
     AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBREADLINE, 1,
               [Define if you have a readline compatible library])
-    AC_CHECK_HEADERS(readline.h readline/readline.h)
+
+    if test "$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],
@@ -106,8 +124,11 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_LIB_READLINE], [
 
     if test "$ax_cv_lib_readline_history" = "yes"; then
       AC_DEFINE(HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY, 1,
-                [Define if your readline library has \`add_history'])
-      AC_CHECK_HEADERS(history.h readline/history.h)
+        [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
 ])dnl