diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9062f9ccd6..e81ea490da 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -235,8 +235,6 @@ interp_prefix="/usr/gnemul/qemu-%M"
 static="no"
 cross_compile="no"
 cross_prefix=""
-block_drv_rw_whitelist=""
-block_drv_ro_whitelist=""
 host_cc="cc"
 lto="false"
 stack_protector=""
@@ -816,10 +814,6 @@ for opt do
     # configure to be used by RPM and similar macros that set
     # lots of directory switches by default.
   ;;
-  --block-drv-rw-whitelist=*|--block-drv-whitelist=*) block_drv_rw_whitelist=$(echo "$optarg" | sed -e 's/,/ /g')
-  ;;
-  --block-drv-ro-whitelist=*) block_drv_ro_whitelist=$(echo "$optarg" | sed -e 's/,/ /g')
-  ;;
   --enable-debug-tcg) debug_tcg="yes"
   ;;
   --disable-debug-tcg) debug_tcg="no"
@@ -1155,12 +1149,6 @@ Advanced options (experts only):
   --disable-stack-protector disable compiler-provided stack protection
   --audio-drv-list=LIST    set audio drivers to try if -audiodev is not used
   --block-drv-whitelist=L  Same as --block-drv-rw-whitelist=L
-  --block-drv-rw-whitelist=L
-                           set block driver read-write whitelist
-                           (by default affects only QEMU, not tools like qemu-img)
-  --block-drv-ro-whitelist=L
-                           set block driver read-only whitelist
-                           (by default affects only QEMU, not tools like qemu-img)
   --with-trace-file=NAME   Full PATH,NAME of file to store traces
                            Default:trace-<pid>
   --cpu=CPU                Build for host CPU [$cpu]
@@ -2185,8 +2173,6 @@ fi
 if test "$static" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_STATIC=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
-echo "CONFIG_BDRV_RW_WHITELIST=$block_drv_rw_whitelist" >> $config_host_mak
-echo "CONFIG_BDRV_RO_WHITELIST=$block_drv_ro_whitelist" >> $config_host_mak
 qemu_version=$(head $source_path/VERSION)
 echo "PKGVERSION=$pkgversion" >>$config_host_mak
 echo "SRC_PATH=$source_path" >> $config_host_mak
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f4f518c7b8..750840a0e9 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1594,6 +1594,19 @@ have_virtfs = get_option('virtfs') \
 
 have_virtfs_proxy_helper = targetos != 'darwin' and have_virtfs and have_tools
 
+if get_option('block_drv_ro_whitelist') == ''
+  config_host_data.set('CONFIG_BDRV_RO_WHITELIST', '')
+else
+  config_host_data.set('CONFIG_BDRV_RO_WHITELIST',
+        '"' + get_option('block_drv_ro_whitelist').replace(',', '", "') + '"')
+endif
+if get_option('block_drv_rw_whitelist') == ''
+  config_host_data.set('CONFIG_BDRV_RW_WHITELIST', '')
+else
+  config_host_data.set('CONFIG_BDRV_RW_WHITELIST',
+        '"' + get_option('block_drv_rw_whitelist').replace(',', '", "') + '"')
+endif
+
 foreach k : get_option('trace_backends')
   config_host_data.set('CONFIG_TRACE_' + k.to_upper(), true)
 endforeach
@@ -2208,16 +2221,8 @@ config_host_data.set('HAVE_VSS_SDK', have_vss_sdk)
 
 ignored = ['CONFIG_QEMU_INTERP_PREFIX', # actually per-target
     'HAVE_GDB_BIN']
-arrays = ['CONFIG_BDRV_RW_WHITELIST', 'CONFIG_BDRV_RO_WHITELIST']
 foreach k, v: config_host
-  if ignored.contains(k)
-    # do nothing
-  elif arrays.contains(k)
-    if v != ''
-      v = '"' + '", "'.join(v.split()) + '", '
-    endif
-    config_host_data.set(k, v)
-  elif k.startswith('CONFIG_')
+  if k.startswith('CONFIG_') and not ignored.contains(k)
     config_host_data.set(k, v == 'y' ? 1 : v)
   endif
 endforeach
@@ -3799,8 +3804,8 @@ summary_info = {}
 summary_info += {'coroutine backend': config_host['CONFIG_COROUTINE_BACKEND']}
 summary_info += {'coroutine pool':    have_coroutine_pool}
 if have_block
-  summary_info += {'Block whitelist (rw)': config_host['CONFIG_BDRV_RW_WHITELIST']}
-  summary_info += {'Block whitelist (ro)': config_host['CONFIG_BDRV_RO_WHITELIST']}
+  summary_info += {'Block whitelist (rw)': get_option('block_drv_rw_whitelist')}
+  summary_info += {'Block whitelist (ro)': get_option('block_drv_ro_whitelist')}
   summary_info += {'Use block whitelist in tools': get_option('block_drv_whitelist_in_tools')}
   summary_info += {'VirtFS support':    have_virtfs}
   summary_info += {'build virtiofs daemon': have_virtiofsd}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index c8e0a10d91..430674522f 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ option('default_devices', type : 'boolean', value : true,
 option('audio_drv_list', type: 'array', value: ['default'],
        choices: ['alsa', 'coreaudio', 'default', 'dsound', 'jack', 'oss', 'pa', 'sdl'],
        description: 'Set audio driver list')
+option('block_drv_rw_whitelist', type : 'string', value : '',
+       description: 'set block driver read-write whitelist (by default affects only QEMU, not tools like qemu-img)')
+option('block_drv_ro_whitelist', type : 'string', value : '',
+       description: 'set block driver read-only whitelist (by default affects only QEMU, not tools like qemu-img)')
 option('fuzzing_engine', type : 'string', value : '',
        description: 'fuzzing engine library for OSS-Fuzz')
 option('trace_file', type: 'string', value: 'trace',
diff --git a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
index 3919eeec0b..d5cba2638a 100644
--- a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
+++ b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 meson_options_help() {
   printf "%s\n" '  --audio-drv-list=CHOICES Set audio driver list [default] (choices:'
   printf "%s\n" '                           alsa/coreaudio/default/dsound/jack/oss/pa/sdl)'
+  printf "%s\n" '  --block-drv-ro-whitelist=VALUE'
+  printf "%s\n" '                           set block driver read-only whitelist (by default'
+  printf "%s\n" '                           affects only QEMU, not tools like qemu-img)'
+  printf "%s\n" '  --block-drv-rw-whitelist=VALUE'
+  printf "%s\n" '                           set block driver read-write whitelist (by default'
+  printf "%s\n" '                           affects only QEMU, not tools like qemu-img)'
   printf "%s\n" '  --disable-coroutine-pool coroutine freelist (better performance)'
   printf "%s\n" '  --disable-install-blobs  install provided firmware blobs'
   printf "%s\n" '  --enable-block-drv-whitelist-in-tools'
@@ -161,6 +167,8 @@ _meson_option_parse() {
     --disable-avx2) printf "%s" -Davx2=disabled ;;
     --enable-avx512f) printf "%s" -Davx512f=enabled ;;
     --disable-avx512f) printf "%s" -Davx512f=disabled ;;
+    --block-drv-ro-whitelist=*) quote_sh "-Dblock_drv_ro_whitelist=$2" ;;
+    --block-drv-rw-whitelist=*) quote_sh "-Dblock_drv_rw_whitelist=$2" ;;
     --enable-block-drv-whitelist-in-tools) printf "%s" -Dblock_drv_whitelist_in_tools=true ;;
     --disable-block-drv-whitelist-in-tools) printf "%s" -Dblock_drv_whitelist_in_tools=false ;;
     --enable-bochs) printf "%s" -Dbochs=enabled ;;
