diff --git a/configure b/configure
index b7644cfbd9..3d65c1e196 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ avx2_opt="$default_feature"
 capstone="auto"
 lzo="$default_feature"
 snappy="$default_feature"
-bzip2="$default_feature"
+bzip2="auto"
 lzfse="$default_feature"
 zstd="$default_feature"
 guest_agent="$default_feature"
@@ -1319,9 +1319,9 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --enable-snappy) snappy="yes"
   ;;
-  --disable-bzip2) bzip2="no"
+  --disable-bzip2) bzip2="disabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-bzip2) bzip2="yes"
+  --enable-bzip2) bzip2="enabled"
   ;;
   --enable-lzfse) lzfse="yes"
   ;;
@@ -2494,24 +2494,6 @@ EOF
     fi
 fi
 
-##########################################
-# bzip2 check
-
-if test "$bzip2" != "no" ; then
-    cat > $TMPC << EOF
-#include <bzlib.h>
-int main(void) { BZ2_bzlibVersion(); return 0; }
-EOF
-    if compile_prog "" "-lbz2" ; then
-        bzip2="yes"
-    else
-        if test "$bzip2" = "yes"; then
-            feature_not_found "libbzip2" "Install libbzip2 devel"
-        fi
-        bzip2="no"
-    fi
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # lzfse check
 
@@ -6236,11 +6218,6 @@ if test "$snappy" = "yes" ; then
   echo "SNAPPY_LIBS=$snappy_libs" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
-if test "$bzip2" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_BZIP2=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "BZIP2_LIBS=-lbz2" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-
 if test "$lzfse" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_LZFSE=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "LZFSE_LIBS=-llzfse" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -6823,7 +6800,7 @@ NINJA=$ninja $meson setup \
         -Dvnc=$vnc -Dvnc_sasl=$vnc_sasl -Dvnc_jpeg=$vnc_jpeg -Dvnc_png=$vnc_png \
         -Dgettext=$gettext -Dxkbcommon=$xkbcommon -Du2f=$u2f -Dvirtiofsd=$virtiofsd \
         -Dcapstone=$capstone -Dslirp=$slirp -Dfdt=$fdt -Dbrlapi=$brlapi \
-        -Dcurl=$curl -Dglusterfs=$glusterfs \
+        -Dcurl=$curl -Dglusterfs=$glusterfs -Dbzip2=$bzip2 \
         -Diconv=$iconv -Dcurses=$curses -Dlibudev=$libudev\
         -Ddocs=$docs -Dsphinx_build=$sphinx_build -Dinstall_blobs=$blobs \
         -Dvhost_user_blk_server=$vhost_user_blk_server \
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index db52ac6bdf..66e35598ce 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -654,8 +654,20 @@ if 'CONFIG_LIBSSH' in config_host
                               link_args: config_host['LIBSSH_LIBS'].split())
 endif
 libbzip2 = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_BZIP2' in config_host
-  libbzip2 = declare_dependency(link_args: config_host['BZIP2_LIBS'].split())
+if not get_option('bzip2').auto() or have_block
+  libbzip2 = cc.find_library('bz2', has_headers: ['bzlib.h'],
+                             required: get_option('bzip2'),
+                             static: enable_static)
+  if libbzip2.found() and not cc.links('''
+     #include <bzlib.h>
+     int main(void) { BZ2_bzlibVersion(); return 0; }''', dependencies: libbzip2)
+    libbzip2 = not_found
+    if get_option('bzip2').enabled()
+      error('could not link libbzip2')
+    else
+      warning('could not link libbzip2, disabling')
+    endif
+  endif
 endif
 liblzfse = not_found
 if 'CONFIG_LZFSE' in config_host
@@ -2301,7 +2313,7 @@ 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':       config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LZO')}
 summary_info += {'snappy support':    config_host.has_key('CONFIG_SNAPPY')}
-summary_info += {'bzip2 support':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_BZIP2')}
+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')}
 summary_info += {'NUMA host support': config_host.has_key('CONFIG_NUMA')}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index b5d84bb88b..fd16f3b399 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ option('cfi_debug', type: 'boolean', value: 'false',
 
 option('brlapi', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'brlapi character device driver')
+option('bzip2', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'bzip2 support for DMG images')
 option('cocoa', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Cocoa user interface (macOS only)')
 option('curl', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
