diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9c336203d8d9..26d10aeffd82 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -273,7 +273,6 @@ sanitizers="no"
 tsan="no"
 fortify_source="yes"
 EXESUF=""
-modules="no"
 prefix="/usr/local"
 qemu_suffix="qemu"
 softmmu="yes"
@@ -705,12 +704,6 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --disable-debug-info) meson_option_add -Ddebug=false
   ;;
-  --enable-modules)
-      modules="yes"
-  ;;
-  --disable-modules)
-      modules="no"
-  ;;
   --cpu=*)
   ;;
   --target-list=*) target_list="$optarg"
@@ -1001,7 +994,6 @@ cat << EOF
   linux-user      all linux usermode emulation targets
   bsd-user        all BSD usermode emulation targets
   pie             Position Independent Executables
-  modules         modules support (non-Windows)
   debug-tcg       TCG debugging (default is disabled)
   debug-info      debugging information
   safe-stack      SafeStack Stack Smash Protection. Depends on
@@ -1260,16 +1252,8 @@ else
   QEMU_CFLAGS="$QEMU_CFLAGS -Wno-missing-braces"
 fi
 
-# Our module code doesn't support Windows
-if test "$modules" = "yes" && test "$mingw32" = "yes" ; then
-  error_exit "Modules are not available for Windows"
-fi
-
-# Static linking is not possible with plugins, modules or PIE
+# Resolve default for --enable-plugins
 if test "$static" = "yes" ; then
-  if test "$modules" = "yes" ; then
-    error_exit "static and modules are mutually incompatible"
-  fi
   if test "$plugins" = "yes"; then
     error_exit "static and plugins are mutually incompatible"
   else
@@ -2229,9 +2213,6 @@ if test "$solaris" = "yes" ; then
 fi
 echo "SRC_PATH=$source_path" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "TARGET_DIRS=$target_list" >> $config_host_mak
-if test "$modules" = "yes"; then
-  echo "CONFIG_MODULES=y" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
 
 # XXX: suppress that
 if [ "$bsd" = "yes" ] ; then
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f63ab7f83bed..99c1bde4d154 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ fs = import('fs')
 
 sh = find_program('sh')
 config_host = keyval.load(meson.current_build_dir() / 'config-host.mak')
-enable_modules = 'CONFIG_MODULES' in config_host
 targetos = host_machine.system()
 
 cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
@@ -84,6 +83,12 @@ have_ga = get_option('guest_agent') \
   .require(targetos in ['sunos', 'linux', 'windows', 'freebsd'],
            error_message: 'unsupported OS for QEMU guest agent') \
   .allowed()
+enable_modules = get_option('modules') \
+  .require(targetos != 'windows',
+           error_message: 'Modules are not available for Windows') \
+  .require(not get_option('prefer_static'),
+           error_message: 'Modules are incompatible with static linking') \
+  .allowed()
 have_block = have_system or have_tools
 
 python = import('python').find_installation()
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 4b749ca54900..e492aaa73fbc 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ option('fuzzing', type : 'boolean', value: false,
        description: 'build fuzzing targets')
 option('gettext', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Localization of the GTK+ user interface')
+option('modules', type : 'feature', value : 'disabled',
+       description: 'modules support (non Windows)')
 option('module_upgrades', type : 'boolean', value : false,
        description: 'try to load modules from alternate paths for upgrades')
 option('install_blobs', type : 'boolean', value : true,
diff --git a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
index aa6e30ea911e..f91797741eef 100644
--- a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
+++ b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ meson_options_help() {
   printf "%s\n" '  lzo             lzo compression support'
   printf "%s\n" '  malloc-trim     enable libc malloc_trim() for memory optimization'
   printf "%s\n" '  membarrier      membarrier system call (for Linux 4.14+ or Windows'
+  printf "%s\n" '  modules         modules support (non Windows)'
   printf "%s\n" '  mpath           Multipath persistent reservation passthrough'
   printf "%s\n" '  multiprocess    Out of process device emulation support'
   printf "%s\n" '  netmap          netmap network backend support'
@@ -338,6 +339,8 @@ _meson_option_parse() {
     --disable-membarrier) printf "%s" -Dmembarrier=disabled ;;
     --enable-module-upgrades) printf "%s" -Dmodule_upgrades=true ;;
     --disable-module-upgrades) printf "%s" -Dmodule_upgrades=false ;;
+    --enable-modules) printf "%s" -Dmodules=enabled ;;
+    --disable-modules) printf "%s" -Dmodules=disabled ;;
     --enable-mpath) printf "%s" -Dmpath=enabled ;;
     --disable-mpath) printf "%s" -Dmpath=disabled ;;
     --enable-multiprocess) printf "%s" -Dmultiprocess=enabled ;;
