diff --git a/configure b/configure
index f52f04d0e3..aee27d9cdd 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ cpuid_h="no"
 avx2_opt="$default_feature"
 capstone="auto"
 lzo="auto"
-snappy="$default_feature"
+snappy="auto"
 bzip2="auto"
 lzfse="$default_feature"
 zstd="$default_feature"
@@ -1316,9 +1316,9 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --enable-lzo) lzo="enabled"
   ;;
-  --disable-snappy) snappy="no"
+  --disable-snappy) snappy="disabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-snappy) snappy="yes"
+  --enable-snappy) snappy="enabled"
   ;;
   --disable-bzip2) bzip2="disabled"
   ;;
@@ -2458,25 +2458,6 @@ EOF
   fi
 fi
 
-##########################################
-# snappy check
-
-if test "$snappy" != "no" ; then
-    cat > $TMPC << EOF
-#include <snappy-c.h>
-int main(void) { snappy_max_compressed_length(4096); return 0; }
-EOF
-    if compile_prog "" "-lsnappy" ; then
-        snappy_libs='-lsnappy'
-        snappy="yes"
-    else
-        if test "$snappy" = "yes"; then
-            feature_not_found "libsnappy" "Install libsnappy devel"
-        fi
-        snappy="no"
-    fi
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # lzfse check
 
@@ -6107,11 +6088,6 @@ if test "$avx512f_opt" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_AVX512F_OPT=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
-if test "$snappy" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_SNAPPY=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "SNAPPY_LIBS=$snappy_libs" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-
 if test "$lzfse" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_LZFSE=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "LZFSE_LIBS=-llzfse" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -6675,7 +6651,7 @@ NINJA=$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 \
+        -Dlibssh=$libssh -Drbd=$rbd -Dlzo=$lzo -Dsnappy=$snappy \
         -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 0310d6d89a..9f6ea65626 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -749,9 +749,19 @@ if get_option('vnc').enabled()
                               compile_args: '-DSTRUCT_IOVEC_DEFINED')
   endif
 endif
-snappy = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_SNAPPY' in config_host
-  snappy = declare_dependency(link_args: config_host['SNAPPY_LIBS'].split())
+
+snappy = cc.find_library('snappy', has_headers: ['snappy-c.h'],
+                      required: get_option('snappy'),
+                      static: enable_static)
+if snappy.found() and not cc.links('''
+   #include <snappy-c.h>
+   int main(void) { snappy_max_compressed_length(4096); return 0; }''', dependencies: snappy)
+  snappy = not_found
+  if get_option('snappy').enabled()
+    error('could not link libsnappy')
+  else
+    warning('could not link libsnappy, disabling')
+  endif
 endif
 
 lzo = cc.find_library('lzo2', has_headers: ['lzo/lzo1x.h'],
@@ -971,6 +981,7 @@ config_host_data.set('HAVE_LIBSSH_0_8', have_libssh_0_8)
 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_SNAPPY', snappy.found())
 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())
@@ -2352,7 +2363,7 @@ summary_info += {'libssh support':    libssh.found()}
 summary_info += {'QOM debugging':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_QOM_CAST_DEBUG')}
 summary_info += {'Live block migration': config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LIVE_BLOCK_MIGRATION')}
 summary_info += {'lzo support':       lzo.found()}
-summary_info += {'snappy support':    config_host.has_key('CONFIG_SNAPPY')}
+summary_info += {'snappy support':    snappy.found()}
 summary_info += {'bzip2 support':     libbzip2.found()}
 summary_info += {'lzfse support':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LZFSE')}
 summary_info += {'zstd support':      config_host.has_key('CONFIG_ZSTD')}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 00a5ec55bd..e2b7e23887 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ option('sdl', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'SDL user interface')
 option('sdl_image', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'SDL Image support for icons')
+option('snappy', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'snappy compression support')
 option('u2f', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'U2F emulation support')
 option('vnc', type : 'feature', value : 'enabled',
