diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1904734259..934cb098aa 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ opengl_dmabuf="no"
 cpuid_h="no"
 avx2_opt="$default_feature"
 capstone="auto"
-lzo="$default_feature"
+lzo="auto"
 snappy="$default_feature"
 bzip2="auto"
 lzfse="$default_feature"
@@ -1311,9 +1311,9 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --disable-zlib-test)
   ;;
-  --disable-lzo) lzo="no"
+  --disable-lzo) lzo="disabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-lzo) lzo="yes"
+  --enable-lzo) lzo="enabled"
   ;;
   --disable-snappy) snappy="no"
   ;;
@@ -2457,25 +2457,6 @@ EOF
   fi
 fi
 
-##########################################
-# lzo check
-
-if test "$lzo" != "no" ; then
-    cat > $TMPC << EOF
-#include <lzo/lzo1x.h>
-int main(void) { lzo_version(); return 0; }
-EOF
-    if compile_prog "" "-llzo2" ; then
-        lzo_libs="-llzo2"
-        lzo="yes"
-    else
-        if test "$lzo" = "yes"; then
-            feature_not_found "liblzo2" "Install liblzo2 devel"
-        fi
-        lzo="no"
-    fi
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # snappy check
 
@@ -6157,11 +6138,6 @@ if test "$avx512f_opt" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_AVX512F_OPT=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
-if test "$lzo" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_LZO=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "LZO_LIBS=$lzo_libs" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-
 if test "$snappy" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_SNAPPY=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "SNAPPY_LIBS=$snappy_libs" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -6741,7 +6717,7 @@ NINJA=$ninja $meson setup \
         -Dcapstone=$capstone -Dslirp=$slirp -Dfdt=$fdt -Dbrlapi=$brlapi \
         -Dcurl=$curl -Dglusterfs=$glusterfs -Dbzip2=$bzip2 -Dlibiscsi=$libiscsi \
         -Dlibnfs=$libnfs -Diconv=$iconv -Dcurses=$curses -Dlibudev=$libudev\
-        -Drbd=$rbd \
+        -Drbd=$rbd -Dlzo=$lzo \
         -Ddocs=$docs -Dsphinx_build=$sphinx_build -Dinstall_blobs=$blobs \
         -Dvhost_user_blk_server=$vhost_user_blk_server \
         -Dfuse=$fuse -Dfuse_lseek=$fuse_lseek \
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f844fc51ab..34683d5030 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -749,10 +749,24 @@ snappy = not_found
 if 'CONFIG_SNAPPY' in config_host
   snappy = declare_dependency(link_args: config_host['SNAPPY_LIBS'].split())
 endif
+
 lzo = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_LZO' in config_host
-  lzo = declare_dependency(link_args: config_host['LZO_LIBS'].split())
+if not get_option('lzo').auto() or have_system
+  lzo = cc.find_library('lzo2', has_headers: ['lzo/lzo1x.h'],
+                        required: get_option('lzo'),
+                        static: enable_static)
 endif
+if lzo.found() and not cc.links('''
+   #include <lzo/lzo1x.h>
+   int main(void) { lzo_version(); return 0; }''', dependencies: lzo)
+  lzo = not_found
+  if get_option('lzo').enabled()
+    error('could not link liblzo2')
+  else
+    warning('could not link liblzo2, disabling')
+  endif
+endif
+
 rdma = not_found
 if 'CONFIG_RDMA' in config_host
   rdma = declare_dependency(link_args: config_host['RDMA_LIBS'].split())
@@ -937,6 +951,7 @@ config_host_data.set_quoted('CONFIG_SYSCONFDIR', get_option('prefix') / get_opti
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_BRLAPI', brlapi.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_COCOA', cocoa.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBUDEV', libudev.found())
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LZO', lzo.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_MPATH', mpathpersist.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_MPATH_NEW_API', mpathpersist_new_api)
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_CURL', curl.found())
@@ -2336,7 +2351,7 @@ summary_info += {'TPM support':       config_host.has_key('CONFIG_TPM')}
 summary_info += {'libssh support':    config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LIBSSH')}
 summary_info += {'QOM debugging':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_QOM_CAST_DEBUG')}
 summary_info += {'Live block migration': config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LIVE_BLOCK_MIGRATION')}
-summary_info += {'lzo support':       config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LZO')}
+summary_info += {'lzo support':       lzo.found()}
 summary_info += {'snappy support':    config_host.has_key('CONFIG_SNAPPY')}
 summary_info += {'bzip2 support':     libbzip2.found()}
 summary_info += {'lzfse support':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LZFSE')}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 7c8d70a7e2..08f0bffeaf 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ option('curses', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'curses UI')
 option('libudev', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Use libudev to enumerate host devices')
+option('lzo', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'lzo compression support')
 option('rbd', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Ceph block device driver')
 option('sdl', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',