diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2208bde419..a99acda9d9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -383,8 +383,7 @@ dummy := $(call unnest-vars,, \
                 ui-obj-m \
                 audio-obj-y \
                 audio-obj-m \
-                trace-obj-y \
-                slirp-obj-y)
+                trace-obj-y)
 
 include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/Makefile.include
 
@@ -458,7 +457,10 @@ CAP_CFLAGS += -DCAPSTONE_HAS_X86
 subdir-capstone: .git-submodule-status
 	$(call quiet-command,$(MAKE) -C $(SRC_PATH)/capstone CAPSTONE_SHARED=no BUILDDIR="$(BUILD_DIR)/capstone" CC="$(CC)" AR="$(AR)" LD="$(LD)" RANLIB="$(RANLIB)" CFLAGS="$(CAP_CFLAGS)" $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) $(BUILD_DIR)/capstone/$(LIBCAPSTONE))
 
-$(SUBDIR_RULES): libqemuutil.a $(common-obj-y) $(chardev-obj-y) $(slirp-obj-y) \
+subdir-slirp: .git-submodule-status
+	$(call quiet-command,$(MAKE) -C $(SRC_PATH)/slirp BUILD_DIR="$(BUILD_DIR)/slirp" CC="$(CC)" AR="$(AR)" LD="$(LD)" RANLIB="$(RANLIB)" CFLAGS="$(QEMU_CFLAGS)")
+
+$(SUBDIR_RULES): libqemuutil.a $(common-obj-y) $(chardev-obj-y) \
 	$(qom-obj-y) $(crypto-aes-obj-$(CONFIG_USER_ONLY))
 
 ROMSUBDIR_RULES=$(patsubst %,romsubdir-%, $(ROMS))
diff --git a/Makefile.objs b/Makefile.objs
index 6e91ee5674..ef65a6c12e 100644
--- a/Makefile.objs
+++ b/Makefile.objs
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ stub-obj-y = stubs/ util/ crypto/
 util-obj-y = util/ qobject/ qapi/
 
 chardev-obj-y = chardev/
-slirp-obj-$(CONFIG_SLIRP) = slirp/
 
 #######################################################################
 # authz-obj-y is code used by both qemu system emulation and qemu-img
diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index 3b79e7074c..bd773da756 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ target-obj-y :=
 block-obj-y :=
 common-obj-y :=
 chardev-obj-y :=
-slirp-obj-y :=
 include $(SRC_PATH)/Makefile.objs
 dummy := $(call unnest-vars,,target-obj-y)
 target-obj-y-save := $(target-obj-y)
@@ -188,8 +187,7 @@ dummy := $(call unnest-vars,.., \
                qom-obj-y \
                io-obj-y \
                common-obj-y \
-               common-obj-m \
-               slirp-obj-y)
+               common-obj-m)
 target-obj-y := $(target-obj-y-save)
 all-obj-y += $(common-obj-y)
 all-obj-y += $(target-obj-y)
@@ -199,7 +197,6 @@ all-obj-$(CONFIG_SOFTMMU) += $(block-obj-y) $(chardev-obj-y)
 all-obj-$(CONFIG_USER_ONLY) += $(crypto-aes-obj-y)
 all-obj-$(CONFIG_SOFTMMU) += $(crypto-obj-y)
 all-obj-$(CONFIG_SOFTMMU) += $(io-obj-y)
-all-obj-$(CONFIG_SOFTMMU) += $(slirp-obj-y)
 
 $(QEMU_PROG_BUILD): config-devices.mak
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index cefeb8fcce..ec43207c18 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ includedir="\${prefix}/include"
 sysconfdir="\${prefix}/etc"
 local_statedir="\${prefix}/var"
 confsuffix="/qemu"
-slirp="yes"
+slirp=""
 oss_lib=""
 bsd="no"
 linux="no"
@@ -1105,6 +1105,10 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --disable-slirp) slirp="no"
   ;;
+  --enable-slirp=git) slirp="git"
+  ;;
+  --enable-slirp=system) slirp="system"
+  ;;
   --disable-vde) vde="no"
   ;;
   --enable-vde) vde="yes"
@@ -5754,6 +5758,55 @@ if test "$libpmem" != "no"; then
 	fi
 fi
 
+##########################################
+# check for slirp
+
+case "$slirp" in
+  "" | yes)
+    if $pkg_config slirp; then
+      slirp=system
+    elif test -e "${source_path}/.git" && test $git_update = 'yes' ; then
+      slirp=git
+    elif test -e "${source_path}/slirp/Makefile" ; then
+      slirp=internal
+    elif test -z "$slirp" ; then
+      slirp=no
+    else
+      feature_not_found "slirp" "Install slirp devel or git submodule"
+    fi
+    ;;
+
+  system)
+    if ! $pkg_config slirp; then
+      feature_not_found "slirp" "Install slirp devel"
+    fi
+    ;;
+esac
+
+case "$slirp" in
+  git | internal)
+    if test "$slirp" = git; then
+      git_submodules="${git_submodules} slirp"
+    fi
+    mkdir -p slirp
+    slirp_cflags="-I\$(SRC_PATH)/slirp/src -I\$(BUILD_DIR)/slirp/src"
+    slirp_libs="-L\$(BUILD_DIR)/slirp -lslirp"
+    ;;
+
+  system)
+    slirp_version=$($pkg_config --modversion slirp 2>/dev/null)
+    slirp_cflags=$($pkg_config --cflags slirp 2>/dev/null)
+    slirp_libs=$($pkg_config --libs slirp 2>/dev/null)
+    ;;
+
+  no)
+    ;;
+  *)
+    error_exit "Unknown state for slirp: $slirp"
+    ;;
+esac
+
+
 ##########################################
 # End of CC checks
 # After here, no more $cc or $ld runs
@@ -6111,7 +6164,8 @@ echo "QEMU_LDFLAGS      $QEMU_LDFLAGS"
 echo "make              $make"
 echo "install           $install"
 echo "python            $python ($python_version)"
-if test "$slirp" = "yes" ; then
+echo "slirp support     $slirp $(echo_version $slirp $slirp_version)"
+if test "$slirp" != "no" ; then
     echo "smbd              $smbd"
 fi
 echo "module support    $modules"
@@ -6372,9 +6426,14 @@ fi
 if test "$profiler" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_PROFILER=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
-if test "$slirp" = "yes" ; then
+if test "$slirp" != "no"; then
   echo "CONFIG_SLIRP=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "CONFIG_SMBD_COMMAND=\"$smbd\"" >> $config_host_mak
+  echo "SLIRP_CFLAGS=$slirp_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
+  echo "SLIRP_LIBS=$slirp_libs" >> $config_host_mak
+fi
+if [ "$slirp" = "git" -o "$slirp" = "internal" ]; then
+    echo "config-host.h: subdir-slirp" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 if test "$vde" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_VDE=y" >> $config_host_mak
diff --git a/net/Makefile.objs b/net/Makefile.objs
index 8262f033b9..c5d076d19c 100644
--- a/net/Makefile.objs
+++ b/net/Makefile.objs
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ common-obj-$(call land,$(CONFIG_VIRTIO_NET),$(CONFIG_VHOST_NET_USER)) += vhost-u
 common-obj-$(call land,$(call lnot,$(CONFIG_VIRTIO_NET)),$(CONFIG_VHOST_NET_USER)) += vhost-user-stub.o
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_ALL) += vhost-user-stub.o
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_SLIRP) += slirp.o
+slirp.o-cflags := $(SLIRP_CFLAGS)
+slirp.o-libs := $(SLIRP_LIBS)
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_VDE) += vde.o
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_NETMAP) += netmap.o
 common-obj-y += filter.o
diff --git a/net/slirp.c b/net/slirp.c
index d2f2138bc5..95934fb36d 100644
--- a/net/slirp.c
+++ b/net/slirp.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 #include "monitor/monitor.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/sockets.h"
-#include "slirp/src/libslirp.h"
+#include <libslirp.h>
 #include "chardev/char-fe.h"
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 #include "qemu/cutils.h"
diff --git a/util/Makefile.objs b/util/Makefile.objs
index 0808575e3e..835fcd69e2 100644
--- a/util/Makefile.objs
+++ b/util/Makefile.objs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ util-obj-y += bufferiszero.o
 util-obj-y += lockcnt.o
 util-obj-y += aiocb.o async.o aio-wait.o thread-pool.o qemu-timer.o
 util-obj-y += main-loop.o iohandler.o
+main-loop.o-cflags := $(SLIRP_CFLAGS)
 util-obj-$(call lnot,$(CONFIG_ATOMIC64)) += atomic64.o
 util-obj-$(CONFIG_POSIX) += aio-posix.o
 util-obj-$(CONFIG_POSIX) += compatfd.o