diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 912c7e7847..a9c4f28247 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1771,8 +1771,9 @@ if gnutls.found()
                      method: 'pkg-config')
 endif
 keyutils = not_found
-if get_option('keyring').enabled()
-  keyutils = dependency('libkeyutils', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+if not get_option('libkeyutils').auto() or have_block
+  keyutils = dependency('libkeyutils', required: get_option('libkeyutils'),
+                        method: 'pkg-config')
 endif
 
 has_gettid = cc.has_function('gettid')
@@ -4211,6 +4212,7 @@ endif
 summary_info += {'AF_ALG support':    have_afalg}
 summary_info += {'rng-none':          get_option('rng_none')}
 summary_info += {'Linux keyring':     have_keyring}
+summary_info += {'Linux keyutils':    keyutils}
 summary(summary_info, bool_yn: true, section: 'Crypto')
 
 # UI
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index aaea5ddd77..ae6d8f469d 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ option('avx512bw', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
        description: 'AVX512BW optimizations')
 option('keyring', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
        description: 'Linux keyring support')
+option('libkeyutils', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+       description: 'Linux keyutils support')
 
 option('attr', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'attr/xattr support')
diff --git a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
index 9da3fe299b..d7020af175 100644
--- a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
+++ b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ meson_options_help() {
   printf "%s\n" '  libdaxctl       libdaxctl support'
   printf "%s\n" '  libdw           debuginfo support'
   printf "%s\n" '  libiscsi        libiscsi userspace initiator'
+  printf "%s\n" '  libkeyutils     Linux keyutils support'
   printf "%s\n" '  libnfs          libnfs block device driver'
   printf "%s\n" '  libpmem         libpmem support'
   printf "%s\n" '  libssh          ssh block device support'
@@ -341,6 +342,8 @@ _meson_option_parse() {
     --libexecdir=*) quote_sh "-Dlibexecdir=$2" ;;
     --enable-libiscsi) printf "%s" -Dlibiscsi=enabled ;;
     --disable-libiscsi) printf "%s" -Dlibiscsi=disabled ;;
+    --enable-libkeyutils) printf "%s" -Dlibkeyutils=enabled ;;
+    --disable-libkeyutils) printf "%s" -Dlibkeyutils=disabled ;;
     --enable-libnfs) printf "%s" -Dlibnfs=enabled ;;
     --disable-libnfs) printf "%s" -Dlibnfs=disabled ;;
     --enable-libpmem) printf "%s" -Dlibpmem=enabled ;;