diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fa46044ce..f0a6cf1c3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ endif ()
 include(FindPkgConfig)
 
 if (NOT FT_DISABLE_HARFBUZZ)
-  set(HARFBUZZ_MIN_VERSION "2.0.0")
+  set(HARFBUZZ_MIN_VERSION "2.6.8")
   if (FT_REQUIRE_HARFBUZZ)
     find_package(HarfBuzz ${HARFBUZZ_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
   else ()
diff --git a/builds/unix/configure.raw b/builds/unix/configure.raw
index 46d957245..0232eadda 100644
--- a/builds/unix/configure.raw
+++ b/builds/unix/configure.raw
@@ -429,13 +429,13 @@ fi
 # check for system libharfbuzz
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([harfbuzz],
-  [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-harfbuzz=@<:@yes|no|auto@:>@],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-harfbuzz=@<:@yes|dynamic|no|auto@:>@],
                   [improve auto-hinting of OpenType fonts @<:@default=auto@:>@])],
   [], [with_harfbuzz=auto])
 
 have_harfbuzz=no
 if test x"$with_harfbuzz" = xyes -o x"$with_harfbuzz" = xauto; then
-  harfbuzz_pkg="harfbuzz >= 2.0.0"
+  harfbuzz_pkg="harfbuzz >= 2.6.8"
   have_harfbuzz_pkg=no
 
   if test x"$HARFBUZZ_CFLAGS" = x -a x"$HARFBUZZ_LIBS" = x; then
@@ -465,10 +465,24 @@ if test x"$with_harfbuzz" = xyes -o x"$with_harfbuzz" = xauto; then
   fi
 fi
 
-if test x"$with_harfbuzz" = xyes -a "$have_harfbuzz" = no; then
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([harfbuzz support requested but library not found])
+have_harfbuzz_dynamic=no
+if test x"$have_harfbuzz" = xno; then
+  if test x"$with_harfbuzz" = xdynamic -o x"$with_harfbuzz" = xauto; then
+    # Check for libdl
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([dl], [dlopen], [have_harfbuzz_dynamic=yes])
+    if test x"$have_harfbuzz_dynamic" = xyes; then
+      have_harfbuzz="yes (dynamic)"
+      HARFBUZZ_CFLAGS=
+      HARFBUZZ_LIBS="-ldl"
+    fi
+  fi
 fi
 
+if test x"$have_harfbuzz" = xno; then
+  if test x"$with_harfbuzz" != xno -a "$with_harfbuzz" != xauto; then
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([harfbuzz support requested but library not found])
+  fi
+fi
 
 # check for system libbrotlidec
 
@@ -1074,13 +1088,13 @@ AC_SUBST([build_libtool_libs])
 
 ftoption_set()
 {
-  regexp="-e \\\"s|.*#.*def.*$1.*|#define $1|\\\""
+  regexp="-e \\\"s|.*#.*def.*$1\>.*|#define $1|\\\""
   FTOPTION_H_SED="$FTOPTION_H_SED $regexp"
 }
 
 ftoption_unset()
 {
-  regexp="-e \\\"s|.*#.*def.*$1.*|/* #undef $1 */|\\\""
+  regexp="-e \\\"s|.*#.*def.*$1\>.*|/* #undef $1 */|\\\""
   FTOPTION_H_SED="$FTOPTION_H_SED $regexp"
 }
 
@@ -1112,6 +1126,11 @@ if test "$have_harfbuzz" != no; then
 else
   ftoption_unset FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ
 fi
+if test "$have_harfbuzz_dynamic" != no; then
+  ftoption_set FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ_DYNAMIC
+else
+  ftoption_unset FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ_DYNAMIC
+fi
 if test "$have_brotli" != no; then
   CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $BROTLI_CFLAGS"
   LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS $BROTLI_LIBS"
diff --git a/devel/ftoption.h b/devel/ftoption.h
index caa450955..44809a47f 100644
--- a/devel/ftoption.h
+++ b/devel/ftoption.h
@@ -293,6 +293,31 @@ FT_BEGIN_HEADER
 #define FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ
 
 
+  /**************************************************************************
+   *
+   * HarfBuzz dynamic support.
+   *
+   *   Define this macro if you want the HarfBuzz library to be loaded at
+   *   runtime instead of being linked to FreeType.
+   *
+   *   This option has no effect if `FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ` is not
+   *   defined.
+   *
+   *   When this option is enabled, FreeType will try to load the HarfBuzz
+   *   library at runtime, using `dlopen` or `LoadLibrary`, depending on the
+   *   platform.  On Microsoft platforms, the library name looked up is
+   *   `libharfbuzz-0.dll`.  On Apple platforms, the library name looked up
+   *   is `libharfbuzz.0.dylib`.  On all other platforms, the library name
+   *   looked up is `libharfbuzz.so.0`.  This name can be overridden by
+   *   defining the macro `FT_LIBHARFBUZZ` at FreeType compilation time.
+   *
+   *   If you use a build system like cmake or the `configure` script,
+   *   options set by those programs have precedence, overwriting the value
+   *   here with the configured one.
+   */
+#define FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ_DYNAMIC
+
+
   /**************************************************************************
    *
    * Brotli support.
diff --git a/include/freetype/config/ftoption.h b/include/freetype/config/ftoption.h
index eb4e32d80..9afd74f29 100644
--- a/include/freetype/config/ftoption.h
+++ b/include/freetype/config/ftoption.h
@@ -293,6 +293,31 @@ FT_BEGIN_HEADER
 /* #define FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ */
 
 
+  /**************************************************************************
+   *
+   * HarfBuzz dynamic support.
+   *
+   *   Define this macro if you want the HarfBuzz library to be loaded at
+   *   runtime instead of being linked to FreeType.
+   *
+   *   This option has no effect if `FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ` is not
+   *   defined.
+   *
+   *   When this option is enabled, FreeType will try to load the HarfBuzz
+   *   library at runtime, using `dlopen` or `LoadLibrary`, depending on the
+   *   platform.  On Microsoft platforms, the library name looked up is
+   *   `libharfbuzz-0.dll`.  On Apple platforms, the library name looked up
+   *   is `libharfbuzz.0.dylib`.  On all other platforms, the library name
+   *   looked up is `libharfbuzz.so.0`.  This name can be overridden by
+   *   defining the macro `FT_LIBHARFBUZZ` at FreeType compilation time.
+   *
+   *   If you use a build system like cmake or the `configure` script,
+   *   options set by those programs have precedence, overwriting the value
+   *   here with the configured one.
+   */
+/* #define FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ_DYNAMIC */
+
+
   /**************************************************************************
    *
    * Brotli support.
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index cfbb5b9f5..a9bf932c8 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -348,15 +348,48 @@ if libpng_dep.found()
   ft2_deps += [libpng_dep]
 endif
 
-# Harfbuzz support.
-harfbuzz_dep = dependency('harfbuzz',
-  version: '>= 2.0.0',
-  required: get_option('harfbuzz'),
-  default_options: ['freetype=disabled'])
+# HarfBuzz support.
+harfbuzz_opt = get_option('harfbuzz')
+harfbuzz_dep = disabler()
 
-if harfbuzz_dep.found()
-  ftoption_command += ['--enable=FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ']
-  ft2_deps += [harfbuzz_dep]
+if harfbuzz_opt == 'enabled' or harfbuzz_opt == 'auto'
+  harfbuzz_dep = dependency('harfbuzz',
+    version: '>= 2.6.8',
+    required: harfbuzz_opt == 'enabled',
+    default_options: ['freetype=disabled'])
+  if harfbuzz_dep.found()
+    harfbuzz_opt = 'YES'
+    ftoption_command += ['--enable=FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ']
+    ft2_deps += [harfbuzz_dep]
+  endif
+endif
+
+if not harfbuzz_dep.found() and \
+   (harfbuzz_opt == 'dynamic' or harfbuzz_opt == 'auto')
+  # On Windows we don't need libdl, but on other platforms we need it.
+  if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
+    harfbuzz_opt = 'dynamic'
+    ftoption_command += [
+      '--enable=FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ',
+      '--enable=FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ_DYNAMIC',
+    ]
+  else
+    harfbuzz_dep = meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('dl',
+      required: harfbuzz_opt == 'dynamic',
+    )
+    if harfbuzz_dep.found()
+      harfbuzz_opt = 'dynamic'
+      ftoption_command += [
+        '--enable=FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ',
+        '--enable=FT_CONFIG_OPTION_USE_HARFBUZZ_DYNAMIC',
+      ]
+      ft2_deps += [harfbuzz_dep]
+    endif
+  endif
+endif
+
+if harfbuzz_opt == 'disabled' or harfbuzz_opt == 'auto'
+  harfbuzz_opt = 'NO'
 endif
 
 # Brotli decompression support.
@@ -489,7 +522,7 @@ summary({'OS': host_machine.system(),
 summary({'Zlib': zlib_option,
          'Bzip2': bzip2_dep.found(),
          'Png': libpng_dep.found(),
-         'Harfbuzz': harfbuzz_dep.found(),
+         'HarfBuzz': harfbuzz_opt,
          'Brotli': brotli_dep.found(),
         }, bool_yn: true, section: 'Used Libraries')
 
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index d4aeb4a8b..45b4acbe6 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ option('bzip2',
   description: 'Support reading bzip2-compressed font files')
 
 option('harfbuzz',
-  type: 'feature',
+  type: 'combo',
+  choices: ['auto', 'enabled', 'dynamic', 'disabled'],
   value: 'auto',
   description: 'Use Harfbuzz library to improve auto-hinting;'
                + ' if available, many glyphs not directly addressable'