diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 5c2cf0b..bccd797 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@
 libxml2="$default_feature"
 debug_mutex="no"
 libpmem="$default_feature"
-default_devices="yes"
+default_devices="true"
 plugins="no"
 fuzzing="no"
 rng_none="no"
@@ -943,9 +943,9 @@
   ;;
   --with-trace-file=*) trace_file="$optarg"
   ;;
-  --with-default-devices) default_devices="yes"
+  --with-default-devices) default_devices="true"
   ;;
-  --without-default-devices) default_devices="no"
+  --without-default-devices) default_devices="false"
   ;;
   --without-default-features) # processed above
   ;;
@@ -5572,11 +5572,6 @@
 
 echo "ARCH=$ARCH" >> $config_host_mak
 
-if test "$default_devices" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_MINIKCONF_MODE=--defconfig" >> $config_host_mak
-else
-  echo "CONFIG_MINIKCONF_MODE=--allnoconfig" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
 if test "$debug_tcg" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_DEBUG_TCG=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
@@ -6540,7 +6535,7 @@
         -Dlibnfs=$libnfs -Diconv=$iconv -Dcurses=$curses -Dlibudev=$libudev\
         -Drbd=$rbd -Dlzo=$lzo -Dsnappy=$snappy -Dlzfse=$lzfse \
         -Dzstd=$zstd -Dseccomp=$seccomp -Dvirtfs=$virtfs -Dcap_ng=$cap_ng \
-        -Dattr=$attr \
+        -Dattr=$attr -Ddefault_devices=$default_devices \
         -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 ea2a2a9..dd61890 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1284,7 +1284,8 @@
       output: config_devices_mak,
       depfile: config_devices_mak + '.d',
       capture: true,
-      command: [minikconf, config_host['CONFIG_MINIKCONF_MODE'],
+      command: [minikconf,
+                get_option('default_devices') ? '--defconfig' : '--allnoconfig',
                 config_devices_mak, '@DEPFILE@', '@INPUT@',
                 host_kconfig, accel_kconfig])
 
@@ -2478,7 +2479,7 @@
 summary_info += {'libpmem support':   config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LIBPMEM')}
 summary_info += {'libdaxctl support': config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LIBDAXCTL')}
 summary_info += {'libudev':           libudev.found()}
-summary_info += {'default devices':   config_host['CONFIG_MINIKCONF_MODE'] == '--defconfig'}
+summary_info += {'default devices':   get_option('default_devices')}
 summary_info += {'plugin support':    config_host.has_key('CONFIG_PLUGIN')}
 summary_info += {'fuzzing support':   config_host.has_key('CONFIG_FUZZ')}
 if config_host.has_key('HAVE_GDB_BIN')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 5b3890d..7948a82 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 option('sphinx_build', type : 'string', value : '',
        description: 'Use specified sphinx-build [$sphinx_build] for building document (default to be empty)')
 
+option('default_devices', type : 'boolean', value : true,
+       description: 'Include a default selection of devices in emulators')
 option('docs', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Documentations build support')
 option('gettext', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',