diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 3389db6f3a..ee371c2a1f 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -282,11 +282,6 @@ EXTRA_CXXFLAGS=""
 EXTRA_OBJCFLAGS=""
 EXTRA_LDFLAGS=""
 
-vhost_kernel="$default_feature"
-vhost_net="$default_feature"
-vhost_crypto="$default_feature"
-vhost_user="no"
-vhost_vdpa="$default_feature"
 debug_tcg="no"
 sanitizers="no"
 tsan="no"
@@ -526,7 +521,6 @@ haiku)
 ;;
 linux)
   linux="yes"
-  vhost_user=${default_feature:-yes}
 ;;
 esac
 
@@ -863,14 +857,6 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --with-coroutine=*) coroutine="$optarg"
   ;;
-  --disable-vhost-net) vhost_net="no"
-  ;;
-  --enable-vhost-net) vhost_net="yes"
-  ;;
-  --disable-vhost-crypto) vhost_crypto="no"
-  ;;
-  --enable-vhost-crypto) vhost_crypto="yes"
-  ;;
   --disable-zlib-test)
   ;;
   --disable-virtio-blk-data-plane|--enable-virtio-blk-data-plane)
@@ -882,18 +868,6 @@ for opt do
   --enable-uuid|--disable-uuid)
       echo "$0: $opt is obsolete, UUID support is always built" >&2
   ;;
-  --disable-vhost-user) vhost_user="no"
-  ;;
-  --enable-vhost-user) vhost_user="yes"
-  ;;
-  --disable-vhost-vdpa) vhost_vdpa="no"
-  ;;
-  --enable-vhost-vdpa) vhost_vdpa="yes"
-  ;;
-  --disable-vhost-kernel) vhost_kernel="no"
-  ;;
-  --enable-vhost-kernel) vhost_kernel="yes"
-  ;;
   --disable-capstone) capstone="disabled"
   ;;
   --enable-capstone) capstone="enabled"
@@ -1092,11 +1066,6 @@ cat << EOF
   debug-info      debugging information
   safe-stack      SafeStack Stack Smash Protection. Depends on
                   clang/llvm >= 3.7 and requires coroutine backend ucontext.
-  vhost-net       vhost-net kernel acceleration support
-  vhost-crypto    vhost-user-crypto backend support
-  vhost-kernel    vhost kernel backend support
-  vhost-user      vhost-user backend support
-  vhost-vdpa      vhost-vdpa kernel backend support
 
 NOTE: The object files are built at the place where configure is launched
 EOF
@@ -1510,35 +1479,6 @@ else
     exit 1
 fi
 
-#########################################
-# vhost interdependencies and host support
-
-# vhost backends
-if test "$vhost_user" = "yes" && test "$mingw32" = "yes"; then
-  error_exit "vhost-user is not available on Windows"
-fi
-test "$vhost_vdpa" = "" && vhost_vdpa=$linux
-if test "$vhost_vdpa" = "yes" && test "$linux" != "yes"; then
-  error_exit "vhost-vdpa is only available on Linux"
-fi
-test "$vhost_kernel" = "" && vhost_kernel=$linux
-if test "$vhost_kernel" = "yes" && test "$linux" != "yes"; then
-  error_exit "vhost-kernel is only available on Linux"
-fi
-
-# vhost-user backends
-test "$vhost_crypto" = "" && vhost_crypto=$vhost_user
-if test "$vhost_crypto" = "yes" && test "$vhost_user" = "no"; then
-  error_exit "--enable-vhost-crypto requires --enable-vhost-user"
-fi
-
-# OR the vhost-kernel, vhost-vdpa and vhost-user values for simplicity
-if test "$vhost_net" = ""; then
-  test "$vhost_user" = "yes" && vhost_net=yes
-  test "$vhost_vdpa" = "yes" && vhost_net=yes
-  test "$vhost_kernel" = "yes" && vhost_net=yes
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # pkg-config probe
 
@@ -2058,28 +1998,6 @@ if test "$modules" = "yes"; then
   echo "CONFIG_MODULES=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
-if test "$vhost_net" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_VHOST_NET=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-if test "$vhost_user" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_VHOST_NET_USER=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-if test "$vhost_vdpa" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_VHOST_NET_VDPA=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-if test "$vhost_crypto" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_VHOST_CRYPTO=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-if test "$vhost_kernel" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_VHOST_KERNEL=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-if test "$vhost_user" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_VHOST_USER=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-if test "$vhost_vdpa" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_VHOST_VDPA=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-
 # XXX: suppress that
 if [ "$bsd" = "yes" ] ; then
   echo "CONFIG_BSD=y" >> $config_host_mak
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index da8ba8f159..326100adf4 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -313,14 +313,26 @@ have_tpm = get_option('tpm') \
   .allowed()
 
 # vhost
-have_vhost_user = 'CONFIG_VHOST_USER' in config_host
-have_vhost_vdpa = 'CONFIG_VHOST_VDPA' in config_host
-have_vhost_kernel = 'CONFIG_VHOST_KERNEL' in config_host
-have_vhost_net_user = 'CONFIG_VHOST_NET_USER' in config_host
-have_vhost_net_vdpa = 'CONFIG_VHOST_NET_VDPA' in config_host
-have_vhost_net = 'CONFIG_VHOST_NET' in config_host
+have_vhost_user = get_option('vhost_user') \
+  .disable_auto_if(targetos != 'linux') \
+  .require(targetos != 'windows',
+           error_message: 'vhost-user is not available on Windows').allowed()
+have_vhost_vdpa = get_option('vhost_vdpa') \
+  .require(targetos == 'linux',
+           error_message: 'vhost-vdpa is only available on Linux').allowed()
+have_vhost_kernel = get_option('vhost_kernel') \
+  .require(targetos == 'linux',
+           error_message: 'vhost-kernel is only available on Linux').allowed()
+have_vhost_user_crypto = get_option('vhost_crypto') \
+  .require(have_vhost_user,
+           error_message: 'vhost-crypto requires vhost-user to be enabled').allowed()
+
 have_vhost = have_vhost_user or have_vhost_vdpa or have_vhost_kernel
-have_vhost_user_crypto = 'CONFIG_VHOST_CRYPTO' in config_host
+
+have_vhost_net_user = have_vhost_user and get_option('vhost_net').allowed()
+have_vhost_net_vdpa = have_vhost_vdpa and get_option('vhost_net').allowed()
+have_vhost_net_kernel = have_vhost_kernel and get_option('vhost_net').allowed()
+have_vhost_net = have_vhost_net_kernel or have_vhost_net_user or have_vhost_net_vdpa
 
 # Target-specific libraries and flags
 libm = cc.find_library('m', required: false)
@@ -1709,6 +1721,13 @@ config_host_data.set('CONFIG_SNAPPY', snappy.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_TPM', have_tpm)
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_USB_LIBUSB', libusb.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VDE', vde.found())
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VHOST_NET', have_vhost_net)
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VHOST_NET_USER', have_vhost_net_user)
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VHOST_NET_VDPA', have_vhost_net_vdpa)
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VHOST_KERNEL', have_vhost_kernel)
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VHOST_USER', have_vhost_user)
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VHOST_CRYPTO', have_vhost_user_crypto)
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VHOST_VDPA', have_vhost_vdpa)
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VHOST_USER_BLK_SERVER', have_vhost_user_blk_server)
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VNC', vnc.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_VNC_JPEG', jpeg.found())
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 8efd5f520c..24a2a593f0 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -235,6 +235,16 @@ option('oss', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
 option('pa', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
        description: 'PulseAudio sound support')
 
+option('vhost_kernel', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+       description: 'vhost kernel backend support')
+option('vhost_net', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+       description: 'vhost-net kernel acceleration support')
+option('vhost_user', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+       description: 'vhost-user backend support')
+option('vhost_crypto', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+       description: 'vhost-user crypto backend support')
+option('vhost_vdpa', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+       description: 'vhost-vdpa kernel backend support')
 option('vhost_user_blk_server', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
        description: 'build vhost-user-blk server')
 option('virtfs', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
diff --git a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
index 274639777e..28258e1478 100644
--- a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
+++ b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
@@ -153,8 +153,13 @@ meson_options_help() {
   printf "%s\n" '  usb-redir       libusbredir support'
   printf "%s\n" '  vde             vde network backend support'
   printf "%s\n" '  vdi             vdi image format support'
+  printf "%s\n" '  vhost-crypto    vhost-user crypto backend support'
+  printf "%s\n" '  vhost-kernel    vhost kernel backend support'
+  printf "%s\n" '  vhost-net       vhost-net kernel acceleration support'
+  printf "%s\n" '  vhost-user      vhost-user backend support'
   printf "%s\n" '  vhost-user-blk-server'
   printf "%s\n" '                  build vhost-user-blk server'
+  printf "%s\n" '  vhost-vdpa      vhost-vdpa kernel backend support'
   printf "%s\n" '  virglrenderer   virgl rendering support'
   printf "%s\n" '  virtfs          virtio-9p support'
   printf "%s\n" '  virtiofsd       build virtiofs daemon (virtiofsd)'
@@ -407,8 +412,18 @@ _meson_option_parse() {
     --disable-vde) printf "%s" -Dvde=disabled ;;
     --enable-vdi) printf "%s" -Dvdi=enabled ;;
     --disable-vdi) printf "%s" -Dvdi=disabled ;;
+    --enable-vhost-crypto) printf "%s" -Dvhost_crypto=enabled ;;
+    --disable-vhost-crypto) printf "%s" -Dvhost_crypto=disabled ;;
+    --enable-vhost-kernel) printf "%s" -Dvhost_kernel=enabled ;;
+    --disable-vhost-kernel) printf "%s" -Dvhost_kernel=disabled ;;
+    --enable-vhost-net) printf "%s" -Dvhost_net=enabled ;;
+    --disable-vhost-net) printf "%s" -Dvhost_net=disabled ;;
+    --enable-vhost-user) printf "%s" -Dvhost_user=enabled ;;
+    --disable-vhost-user) printf "%s" -Dvhost_user=disabled ;;
     --enable-vhost-user-blk-server) printf "%s" -Dvhost_user_blk_server=enabled ;;
     --disable-vhost-user-blk-server) printf "%s" -Dvhost_user_blk_server=disabled ;;
+    --enable-vhost-vdpa) printf "%s" -Dvhost_vdpa=enabled ;;
+    --disable-vhost-vdpa) printf "%s" -Dvhost_vdpa=disabled ;;
     --enable-virglrenderer) printf "%s" -Dvirglrenderer=enabled ;;
     --disable-virglrenderer) printf "%s" -Dvirglrenderer=disabled ;;
     --enable-virtfs) printf "%s" -Dvirtfs=enabled ;;
