diff --git a/configure b/configure
index ec0639387d..d70448f495 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ cfi="false"
 cfi_debug="false"
 seccomp="auto"
 glusterfs="auto"
-gtk="$default_feature"
+gtk="auto"
 tls_priority="NORMAL"
 gnutls="$default_feature"
 nettle="$default_feature"
@@ -1377,9 +1377,9 @@ for opt do
   --enable-uuid|--disable-uuid)
       echo "$0: $opt is obsolete, UUID support is always built" >&2
   ;;
-  --disable-gtk) gtk="no"
+  --disable-gtk) gtk="disabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-gtk) gtk="yes"
+  --enable-gtk) gtk="enabled"
   ;;
   --tls-priority=*) tls_priority="$optarg"
   ;;
@@ -2329,10 +2329,10 @@ if test "$cocoa" = "enabled"; then
     if test "$sdl" = "enabled"; then
         error_exit "Cocoa and SDL UIs cannot both be enabled at once"
     fi
-    if test "$gtk" = "yes"; then
+    if test "$gtk" = "enabled"; then
         error_exit "Cocoa and GTK UIs cannot both be enabled at once"
     fi
-    gtk=no
+    gtk=disabled
     sdl=disabled
 fi
 
@@ -2759,31 +2759,6 @@ EOF
   fi
 fi
 
-##########################################
-# GTK probe
-
-if test "$gtk" != "no"; then
-    gtkpackage="gtk+-3.0"
-    gtkx11package="gtk+-x11-3.0"
-    gtkversion="3.22.0"
-    if $pkg_config --exists "$gtkpackage >= $gtkversion"; then
-        gtk_cflags=$($pkg_config --cflags $gtkpackage)
-        gtk_libs=$($pkg_config --libs $gtkpackage)
-        gtk_version=$($pkg_config --modversion $gtkpackage)
-        if $pkg_config --exists "$gtkx11package >= $gtkversion"; then
-            need_x11=yes
-            gtk_cflags="$gtk_cflags $x11_cflags"
-            gtk_libs="$gtk_libs $x11_libs"
-        fi
-        gtk="yes"
-    elif test "$gtk" = "yes"; then
-        feature_not_found "gtk" "Install gtk3-devel"
-    else
-        gtk="no"
-    fi
-fi
-
-
 ##########################################
 # GNUTLS probe
 
@@ -3640,16 +3615,6 @@ EOF
   fi
 fi
 
-if test "$opengl" = "yes" && test "$have_x11" = "yes"; then
-  for target in $target_list; do
-    case $target in
-      lm32-softmmu) # milkymist-tmu2 requires X11 and OpenGL
-        need_x11=yes
-      ;;
-    esac
-  done
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # libxml2 probe
 if test "$libxml2" != "no" ; then
@@ -5673,9 +5638,6 @@ fi
 if test "$module_upgrades" = "yes"; then
   echo "CONFIG_MODULE_UPGRADES=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
-if test "$need_x11" = "yes"; then
-  echo "CONFIG_NEED_X11=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
 if test "$pipe2" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_PIPE2=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
@@ -5763,11 +5725,6 @@ fi
 if test "$bswap_h" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_MACHINE_BSWAP_H=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
-if test "$gtk" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_GTK=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "GTK_CFLAGS=$gtk_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "GTK_LIBS=$gtk_libs" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
 if test "$gio" = "yes" ; then
     echo "CONFIG_GIO=y" >> $config_host_mak
     echo "GIO_CFLAGS=$gio_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -6501,7 +6458,7 @@ NINJA=$ninja $meson setup \
         -Dmalloc=$malloc -Dmalloc_trim=$malloc_trim -Dsparse=$sparse \
         -Dkvm=$kvm -Dhax=$hax -Dwhpx=$whpx -Dhvf=$hvf \
         -Dxen=$xen -Dxen_pci_passthrough=$xen_pci_passthrough -Dtcg=$tcg \
-        -Dcocoa=$cocoa -Dmpath=$mpath -Dsdl=$sdl -Dsdl_image=$sdl_image \
+        -Dcocoa=$cocoa -Dgtk=$gtk -Dmpath=$mpath -Dsdl=$sdl -Dsdl_image=$sdl_image \
         -Dvnc=$vnc -Dvnc_sasl=$vnc_sasl -Dvnc_jpeg=$vnc_jpeg -Dvnc_png=$vnc_png \
         -Dgettext=$gettext -Dxkbcommon=$xkbcommon -Du2f=$u2f -Dvirtiofsd=$virtiofsd \
         -Dcapstone=$capstone -Dslirp=$slirp -Dfdt=$fdt -Dbrlapi=$brlapi \
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index e673c1578a..73d3cc5385 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -776,19 +776,31 @@ if 'CONFIG_OPENGL' in config_host
   opengl = declare_dependency(compile_args: config_host['OPENGL_CFLAGS'].split(),
                               link_args: config_host['OPENGL_LIBS'].split())
 endif
+
 gtk = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_GTK' in config_host
-  gtk = declare_dependency(compile_args: config_host['GTK_CFLAGS'].split(),
-                              link_args: config_host['GTK_LIBS'].split())
+gtkx11 = not_found
+if not get_option('gtk').auto() or have_system
+  gtk = dependency('gtk+-3.0', version: '>=3.22.0',
+                   method: 'pkg-config',
+                   required: get_option('gtk'),
+                   static: enable_static)
+  if gtk.found()
+    gtkx11 = dependency('gtk+-x11-3.0', version: '>=3.22.0',
+                        method: 'pkg-config',
+                        required: false,
+                        static: enable_static)
+    gtk = declare_dependency(dependencies: [gtk, gtkx11])
+  endif
 endif
+
 vte = not_found
 if 'CONFIG_VTE' in config_host
   vte = declare_dependency(compile_args: config_host['VTE_CFLAGS'].split(),
                            link_args: config_host['VTE_LIBS'].split())
 endif
 x11 = not_found
-if config_host.has_key('CONFIG_NEED_X11')
-  x11 = dependency('x11', method: 'pkg-config', required: false,
+if gtkx11.found() or 'lm32-softmmu' in target_dirs
+  x11 = dependency('x11', method: 'pkg-config', required: gtkx11.found(),
                    static: enable_static)
 endif
 vnc = not_found
@@ -1062,6 +1074,7 @@ if glusterfs.found()
   config_host_data.set('CONFIG_GLUSTERFS_FTRUNCATE_HAS_STAT', glusterfs_ftruncate_has_stat)
   config_host_data.set('CONFIG_GLUSTERFS_IOCB_HAS_STAT', glusterfs_iocb_has_stat)
 endif
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_GTK', gtk.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBATTR', have_old_libattr)
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBCAP_NG', libcap_ng.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBISCSI', libiscsi.found())
@@ -2230,7 +2243,7 @@ subdir('tools')
 subdir('pc-bios')
 subdir('docs')
 subdir('tests')
-if 'CONFIG_GTK' in config_host
+if gtk.found()
   subdir('po')
 endif
 
@@ -2247,7 +2260,7 @@ if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
   if build_docs
     nsis_cmd += '-DCONFIG_DOCUMENTATION=y'
   endif
-  if 'CONFIG_GTK' in config_host
+  if gtk.found()
     nsis_cmd += '-DCONFIG_GTK=y'
   endif
 
@@ -2338,7 +2351,7 @@ endif
 summary_info += {'SDL support':       sdl.found()}
 summary_info += {'SDL image support': sdl_image.found()}
 # TODO: add back version
-summary_info += {'GTK support':       config_host.has_key('CONFIG_GTK')}
+summary_info += {'GTK support':       gtk.found()}
 summary_info += {'pixman':            pixman.found()}
 # TODO: add back version
 summary_info += {'VTE support':       config_host.has_key('CONFIG_VTE')}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 7948a8255c..72a3ca22d6 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ option('lzo', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'lzo compression support')
 option('rbd', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Ceph block device driver')
+option('gtk', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'GTK+ user interface')
 option('sdl', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'SDL user interface')
 option('sdl_image', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
diff --git a/ui/meson.build b/ui/meson.build
index cc764e1bd1..634fabab0d 100644
--- a/ui/meson.build
+++ b/ui/meson.build
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ if config_host.has_key('CONFIG_OPENGL_DMABUF')
   ui_modules += {'egl-headless' : egl_headless_ss}
 endif
 
-if config_host.has_key('CONFIG_GTK')
+if gtk.found()
   softmmu_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_WIN32', if_true: files('win32-kbd-hook.c'))
 
   gtk_ss = ss.source_set()