diff --git a/configure b/configure
index fe86da4..895192e 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@
 gcrypt="auto"
 auth_pam="auto"
 vte="auto"
-virglrenderer="$default_feature"
+virglrenderer="auto"
 tpm="$default_feature"
 libssh="$default_feature"
 live_block_migration=${default_feature:-yes}
@@ -1399,9 +1399,9 @@
   ;;
   --enable-vte) vte="enabled"
   ;;
-  --disable-virglrenderer) virglrenderer="no"
+  --disable-virglrenderer) virglrenderer="disabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-virglrenderer) virglrenderer="yes"
+  --enable-virglrenderer) virglrenderer="enabled"
   ;;
   --disable-tpm) tpm="no"
   ;;
@@ -4037,28 +4037,6 @@
 fi
 
 ##########################################
-# virgl renderer probe
-
-if test "$virglrenderer" != "no" ; then
-  cat > $TMPC << EOF
-#include <virglrenderer.h>
-int main(void) { virgl_renderer_poll(); return 0; }
-EOF
-  virgl_cflags=$($pkg_config --cflags virglrenderer 2>/dev/null)
-  virgl_libs=$($pkg_config --libs virglrenderer 2>/dev/null)
-  virgl_version=$($pkg_config --modversion virglrenderer 2>/dev/null)
-  if $pkg_config virglrenderer >/dev/null 2>&1 && \
-     compile_prog "$virgl_cflags" "$virgl_libs" ; then
-    virglrenderer="yes"
-  else
-    if test "$virglrenderer" = "yes" ; then
-      feature_not_found "virglrenderer"
-    fi
-    virglrenderer="no"
-  fi
-fi
-
-##########################################
 # capstone
 
 case "$capstone" in
@@ -5466,11 +5444,6 @@
 if test "$have_copy_file_range" = "yes" ; then
     echo "HAVE_COPY_FILE_RANGE=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
-if test "$virglrenderer" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_VIRGL=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "VIRGL_CFLAGS=$virgl_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "VIRGL_LIBS=$virgl_libs" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
 if test "$xen" = "enabled" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_XEN_BACKEND=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "CONFIG_XEN_CTRL_INTERFACE_VERSION=$xen_ctrl_version" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -6137,7 +6110,7 @@
         -Drbd=$rbd -Dlzo=$lzo -Dsnappy=$snappy -Dlzfse=$lzfse \
         -Dgnutls=$gnutls -Dnettle=$nettle -Dgcrypt=$gcrypt -Dauth_pam=$auth_pam \
         -Dzstd=$zstd -Dseccomp=$seccomp -Dvirtfs=$virtfs -Dcap_ng=$cap_ng \
-        -Dattr=$attr -Ddefault_devices=$default_devices \
+        -Dattr=$attr -Ddefault_devices=$default_devices -Dvirglrenderer=$virglrenderer \
         -Ddocs=$docs -Dsphinx_build=$sphinx_build -Dinstall_blobs=$blobs \
         -Dvhost_user_blk_server=$vhost_user_blk_server -Dmultiprocess=$multiprocess \
         -Dfuse=$fuse -Dfuse_lseek=$fuse_lseek -Dguest_agent_msi=$guest_agent_msi -Dbpf=$bpf\
diff --git a/hw/display/meson.build b/hw/display/meson.build
index e1f473c..1e6b707 100644
--- a/hw/display/meson.build
+++ b/hw/display/meson.build
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
   hw_display_modules += {'virtio-gpu': virtio_gpu_ss}
 
   virtio_gpu_gl_ss = ss.source_set()
-  virtio_gpu_gl_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_VIRTIO_GPU', 'CONFIG_VIRGL', opengl],
+  virtio_gpu_gl_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_VIRTIO_GPU', virgl, opengl],
                        if_true: [files('virtio-gpu-gl.c', 'virtio-gpu-virgl.c'), pixman, virgl])
   hw_display_modules += {'virtio-gpu-gl': virtio_gpu_gl_ss}
 endif
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
   hw_display_modules += {'virtio-gpu-pci': virtio_gpu_pci_ss}
 
   virtio_gpu_pci_gl_ss = ss.source_set()
-  virtio_gpu_pci_gl_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_VIRTIO_GPU', 'CONFIG_VIRTIO_PCI', 'CONFIG_VIRGL', opengl],
+  virtio_gpu_pci_gl_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_VIRTIO_GPU', 'CONFIG_VIRTIO_PCI', virgl, opengl],
                            if_true: [files('virtio-gpu-pci-gl.c'), pixman])
   hw_display_modules += {'virtio-gpu-pci-gl': virtio_gpu_pci_gl_ss}
 endif
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
   hw_display_modules += {'virtio-vga': virtio_vga_ss}
 
   virtio_vga_gl_ss = ss.source_set()
-  virtio_vga_gl_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_VIRTIO_VGA', 'CONFIG_VIRGL', opengl],
+  virtio_vga_gl_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_VIRTIO_VGA', virgl, opengl],
                        if_true: [files('virtio-vga-gl.c'), pixman])
   hw_display_modules += {'virtio-vga-gl': virtio_vga_gl_ss}
 endif
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index b15c1ee..84ffdb4 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -471,9 +471,11 @@
                            link_args: config_host['GBM_LIBS'].split())
 endif
 virgl = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_VIRGL' in config_host
-  virgl = declare_dependency(compile_args: config_host['VIRGL_CFLAGS'].split(),
-                             link_args: config_host['VIRGL_LIBS'].split())
+if not get_option('virglrenderer').auto() or have_system
+  virgl = dependency('virglrenderer',
+                     method: 'pkg-config',
+                     required: get_option('virglrenderer'),
+                     kwargs: static_kwargs)
 endif
 curl = not_found
 if not get_option('curl').auto() or have_block
@@ -2768,7 +2770,7 @@
 summary_info += {'iconv support':     iconv.found()}
 summary_info += {'curses support':    curses.found()}
 # TODO: add back version
-summary_info += {'virgl support':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_VIRGL')}
+summary_info += {'virgl support':     virgl.found()}
 summary_info += {'curl support':      curl.found()}
 summary_info += {'Multipath support': mpathpersist.found()}
 summary_info += {'VNC support':       vnc.found()}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 8af4298..a70aedb 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@
        description: 'U2F emulation support')
 option('usb_redir', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'libusbredir support')
+option('virglrenderer', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'virgl rendering support')
 option('vnc', type : 'feature', value : 'enabled',
        description: 'VNC server')
 option('vnc_jpeg', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',