diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1d31121402..1904734259 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ qom_cast_debug="yes"
 trace_backends="log"
 trace_file="trace"
 spice="$default_feature"
-rbd="$default_feature"
+rbd="auto"
 smartcard="$default_feature"
 u2f="auto"
 libusb="$default_feature"
@@ -1285,9 +1285,9 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --enable-opengl) opengl="yes"
   ;;
-  --disable-rbd) rbd="no"
+  --disable-rbd) rbd="disabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-rbd) rbd="yes"
+  --enable-rbd) rbd="enabled"
   ;;
   --disable-xfsctl) xfs="no"
   ;;
@@ -3606,29 +3606,6 @@ if compile_prog "" "$pthread_lib" ; then
   pthread_setname_np_wo_tid=yes
 fi
 
-##########################################
-# rbd probe
-if test "$rbd" != "no" ; then
-  cat > $TMPC <<EOF
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <rbd/librbd.h>
-int main(void) {
-    rados_t cluster;
-    rados_create(&cluster, NULL);
-    return 0;
-}
-EOF
-  rbd_libs="-lrbd -lrados"
-  if compile_prog "" "$rbd_libs" ; then
-    rbd=yes
-  else
-    if test "$rbd" = "yes" ; then
-      feature_not_found "rados block device" "Install librbd/ceph devel"
-    fi
-    rbd=no
-  fi
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # libssh probe
 if test "$libssh" != "no" ; then
@@ -6215,10 +6192,6 @@ fi
 if test "$qom_cast_debug" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_QOM_CAST_DEBUG=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
-if test "$rbd" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_RBD=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "RBD_LIBS=$rbd_libs" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
 
 echo "CONFIG_COROUTINE_BACKEND=$coroutine" >> $config_host_mak
 if test "$coroutine_pool" = "yes" ; then
@@ -6768,6 +6741,7 @@ 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 \
         -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 e1f922f073..f844fc51ab 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -616,9 +616,24 @@ else
 endif
 
 rbd = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_RBD' in config_host
-  rbd = declare_dependency(link_args: config_host['RBD_LIBS'].split())
+if not get_option('rbd').auto() or have_block
+  librados = cc.find_library('rados', required: get_option('rbd'),
+                             static: enable_static)
+  librbd = cc.find_library('rbd', has_headers: ['rbd/librbd.h'],
+                           required: get_option('rbd'),
+                           static: enable_static)
+  if librados.found() and librbd.found() and cc.links('''
+    #include <stdio.h>
+    #include <rbd/librbd.h>
+    int main(void) {
+      rados_t cluster;
+      rados_create(&cluster, NULL);
+      return 0;
+    }''', dependencies: [librbd, librados])
+    rbd = declare_dependency(dependencies: [librbd, librados])
+  endif
 endif
+
 glusterfs = not_found
 glusterfs_ftruncate_has_stat = false
 glusterfs_iocb_has_stat = false
@@ -937,6 +952,7 @@ if glusterfs.found()
 endif
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBISCSI', libiscsi.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBNFS', libnfs.found())
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_RBD', rbd.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_SDL', sdl.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_SDL_IMAGE', sdl_image.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VHOST_USER_BLK_SERVER', have_vhost_user_blk_server)
@@ -2287,7 +2303,7 @@ if config_host['TRACE_BACKENDS'].split().contains('simple')
 endif
 # TODO: add back protocol and server version
 summary_info += {'spice support':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_SPICE')}
-summary_info += {'rbd support':       config_host.has_key('CONFIG_RBD')}
+summary_info += {'rbd support':       rbd.found()}
 summary_info += {'xfsctl support':    config_host.has_key('CONFIG_XFS')}
 summary_info += {'smartcard support': config_host.has_key('CONFIG_SMARTCARD')}
 summary_info += {'U2F support':       u2f.found()}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 4535bc4dc2..7c8d70a7e2 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('rbd', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'Ceph block device driver')
 option('sdl', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'SDL user interface')
 option('sdl_image', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',