diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9166347739..6224279e44 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ capstone="auto"
 lzo="auto"
 snappy="auto"
 bzip2="auto"
-lzfse="$default_feature"
+lzfse="auto"
 zstd="$default_feature"
 guest_agent="$default_feature"
 guest_agent_with_vss="no"
@@ -1323,9 +1323,9 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --enable-bzip2) bzip2="enabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-lzfse) lzfse="yes"
+  --enable-lzfse) lzfse="enabled"
   ;;
-  --disable-lzfse) lzfse="no"
+  --disable-lzfse) lzfse="disabled"
   ;;
   --disable-zstd) zstd="no"
   ;;
@@ -2456,24 +2456,6 @@ EOF
   fi
 fi
 
-##########################################
-# lzfse check
-
-if test "$lzfse" != "no" ; then
-    cat > $TMPC << EOF
-#include <lzfse.h>
-int main(void) { lzfse_decode_scratch_size(); return 0; }
-EOF
-    if compile_prog "" "-llzfse" ; then
-        lzfse="yes"
-    else
-        if test "$lzfse" = "yes"; then
-            feature_not_found "lzfse" "Install lzfse devel"
-        fi
-        lzfse="no"
-    fi
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # zstd check
 
@@ -6086,11 +6068,6 @@ if test "$avx512f_opt" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_AVX512F_OPT=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
-if test "$lzfse" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_LZFSE=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "LZFSE_LIBS=-llzfse" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-
 if test "$zstd" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_ZSTD=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "ZSTD_CFLAGS=$zstd_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -6649,7 +6626,7 @@ NINJA=$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=$libudev\
-        -Dlibssh=$libssh -Drbd=$rbd -Dlzo=$lzo -Dsnappy=$snappy \
+        -Dlibssh=$libssh -Drbd=$rbd -Dlzo=$lzo -Dsnappy=$snappy -Dlzfse=$lzfse \
         -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 02a9f914be..550df12432 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -699,10 +699,21 @@ if not get_option('bzip2').auto() or have_block
     endif
   endif
 endif
-liblzfse = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_LZFSE' in config_host
-  liblzfse = declare_dependency(link_args: config_host['LZFSE_LIBS'].split())
+
+liblzfse = cc.find_library('lzfse', has_headers: ['lzfse.h'],
+                      required: get_option('lzfse'),
+                      static: enable_static)
+if liblzfse.found() and not cc.links('''
+   #include <lzfse.h>
+   int main(void) { lzfse_decode_scratch_size(); return 0; }''', dependencies: liblzfse)
+  liblzfse = not_found
+  if get_option('lzfse').enabled()
+    error('could not link liblzfse')
+  else
+    warning('could not link liblzfse, disabling')
+  endif
 endif
+
 oss = not_found
 if 'CONFIG_AUDIO_OSS' in config_host
   oss = declare_dependency(link_args: config_host['OSS_LIBS'].split())
@@ -2372,7 +2383,7 @@ summary_info += {'Live block migration': config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LIVE_BLOCK_
 summary_info += {'lzo support':       lzo.found()}
 summary_info += {'snappy support':    snappy.found()}
 summary_info += {'bzip2 support':     libbzip2.found()}
-summary_info += {'lzfse support':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LZFSE')}
+summary_info += {'lzfse support':     liblzfse.found()}
 summary_info += {'zstd support':      config_host.has_key('CONFIG_ZSTD')}
 summary_info += {'NUMA host support': config_host.has_key('CONFIG_NUMA')}
 summary_info += {'libxml2':           config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LIBXML2')}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index e2b7e23887..f74a3d78c4 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ option('curses', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'curses UI')
 option('libudev', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Use libudev to enumerate host devices')
+option('lzfse', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'lzfse support for DMG images')
 option('lzo', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'lzo compression support')
 option('rbd', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
