diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8d8a4733d7..d72ab22da5 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -464,6 +464,7 @@ fuse="auto"
 fuse_lseek="auto"
 
 malloc_trim="auto"
+slirp_smbd="auto"
 
 # parse CC options second
 for opt do
@@ -845,7 +846,18 @@ do
     fi
 done
 
+# Check for smbd dupport
 : ${smbd=${SMBD-/usr/sbin/smbd}}
+if test "$slirp_smbd" != "no" ; then
+  if test "$mingw32" = "yes" ; then
+    if test "$slirp_smbd" = "yes" ; then
+      error_exit "Host smbd not supported on this platform."
+    fi
+    slirp_smbd=no
+  else
+    slirp_smbd=yes
+  fi
+fi
 
 # Default objcc to clang if available, otherwise use CC
 if has clang; then
@@ -1560,6 +1572,10 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --disable-fuse-lseek) fuse_lseek="disabled"
   ;;
+  --enable-slirp-smbd) slirp_smbd=yes
+  ;;
+  --disable-slirp-smbd) slirp_smbd=no
+  ;;
   *)
       echo "ERROR: unknown option $opt"
       echo "Try '$0 --help' for more information"
@@ -1899,6 +1915,7 @@ disabled with --disable-FEATURE, default is enabled if available
   libdaxctl       libdaxctl support
   fuse            FUSE block device export
   fuse-lseek      SEEK_HOLE/SEEK_DATA support for FUSE exports
+  slirp-smbd      use smbd (at path --smbd=*) in slirp networking
 
 NOTE: The object files are built at the place where configure is launched
 EOF
@@ -5573,7 +5590,10 @@ fi
 if test "$guest_agent" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_GUEST_AGENT=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
-echo "CONFIG_SMBD_COMMAND=\"$smbd\"" >> $config_host_mak
+if test "$slirp_smbd" = "yes" ; then
+  echo "CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD=y" >> $config_host_mak
+  echo "CONFIG_SMBD_COMMAND=\"$smbd\"" >> $config_host_mak
+fi
 if test "$vde" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_VDE=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "VDE_LIBS=$vde_libs" >> $config_host_mak
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 6818d97df5..f1e67b8cd1 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2336,7 +2336,7 @@ summary_info += {'sphinx-build':      sphinx_build.found()}
 summary_info += {'genisoimage':       config_host['GENISOIMAGE']}
 # TODO: add back version
 summary_info += {'slirp support':     slirp_opt == 'disabled' ? false : slirp_opt}
-if slirp_opt != 'disabled'
+if slirp_opt != 'disabled' and 'CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD' in config_host
   summary_info += {'smbd':            config_host['CONFIG_SMBD_COMMAND']}
 endif
 summary_info += {'module support':    config_host.has_key('CONFIG_MODULES')}
diff --git a/net/slirp.c b/net/slirp.c
index 8350c6d45f..4348e74805 100644
--- a/net/slirp.c
+++ b/net/slirp.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include "net/slirp.h"
 
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if defined(CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD)
 #include <pwd.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #endif
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ typedef struct SlirpState {
     Slirp *slirp;
     Notifier poll_notifier;
     Notifier exit_notifier;
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if defined(CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD)
     gchar *smb_dir;
 #endif
     GSList *fwd;
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ static QTAILQ_HEAD(, SlirpState) slirp_stacks =
 static int slirp_hostfwd(SlirpState *s, const char *redir_str, Error **errp);
 static int slirp_guestfwd(SlirpState *s, const char *config_str, Error **errp);
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if defined(CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD)
 static int slirp_smb(SlirpState *s, const char *exported_dir,
                      struct in_addr vserver_addr, Error **errp);
 static void slirp_smb_cleanup(SlirpState *s);
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ static int net_slirp_init(NetClientState *peer, const char *model,
     struct in6_addr ip6_prefix;
     struct in6_addr ip6_host;
     struct in6_addr ip6_dns;
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if defined(CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD)
     struct in_addr smbsrv = { .s_addr = 0 };
 #endif
     NetClientState *nc;
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ static int net_slirp_init(NetClientState *peer, const char *model,
         return -1;
     }
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if defined(CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD)
     if (vsmbserver && !inet_aton(vsmbserver, &smbsrv)) {
         error_setg(errp, "Failed to parse SMB address");
         return -1;
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ static int net_slirp_init(NetClientState *peer, const char *model,
             }
         }
     }
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if defined(CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD)
     if (smb_export) {
         if (slirp_smb(s, smb_export, smbsrv, errp) < 0) {
             goto error;
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ void hmp_hostfwd_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
 
 }
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
+#if defined(CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD)
 
 /* automatic user mode samba server configuration */
 static void slirp_smb_cleanup(SlirpState *s)
@@ -899,7 +899,7 @@ static int slirp_smb(SlirpState* s, const char *exported_dir,
     return 0;
 }
 
-#endif /* !defined(_WIN32) */
+#endif /* defined(CONFIG_SLIRP_SMBD) */
 
 static int guestfwd_can_read(void *opaque)
 {
