diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index eeed0b686..528d210ad 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -260,10 +260,10 @@ cdata.set('HAVE_DBUS', dbus_dep.found())
 sdl_dep = dependency('sdl2', required : get_option('sdl2'))
 summary({'SDL2 (video examples)': sdl_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true, section: 'Misc dependencies')
 drm_dep = dependency('libdrm', required : false)
-readline_dep = dependency('readline', required : false)
+readline_dep = dependency('readline', required : get_option('readline'))
 
 if not readline_dep.found()
-  readline_dep = cc.find_library('readline', required: false)
+  readline_dep = cc.find_library('readline', required : get_option('readline'))
 endif
 
 summary({'readline (for pw-cli)': readline_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true, section: 'Misc dependencies')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 9beb55a96..f306ecbf9 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -265,3 +265,7 @@ option('flatpak',
        description: 'Enable Flatpak support',
        type: 'feature',
        value: 'enabled')
+option('readline',
+       description: 'Enable code that depends on libreadline',
+       type: 'feature',
+       value: 'auto')