diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6dcf04917f..f49c9625cd 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ fi
 
 # Check for compiler and library settings.
 
-LIBVIRT_ARG_CURL
 LIBVIRT_ARG_DBUS
 LIBVIRT_ARG_FIREWALLD
 LIBVIRT_ARG_FIREWALLD_ZONE
@@ -143,7 +142,6 @@ LIBVIRT_ARG_VIRTUALPORT
 LIBVIRT_ARG_WIRESHARK
 LIBVIRT_ARG_YAJL
 
-LIBVIRT_CHECK_CURL
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_DBUS
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_DEVMAPPER
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_DLOPEN
@@ -463,7 +461,6 @@ LIBVIRT_RESULT_DRIVER_MODULES
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([Libraries])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([])
-LIBVIRT_RESULT_CURL
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_DBUS
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_DLOPEN
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_FIREWALLD
diff --git a/m4/virt-curl.m4 b/m4/virt-curl.m4
deleted file mode 100644
index 84fcd69a8e..0000000000
--- a/m4/virt-curl.m4
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-dnl The libcurl.so library
-dnl
-dnl Copyright (C) 2012-2013 Red Hat, Inc.
-dnl
-dnl This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
-dnl modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
-dnl License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
-dnl version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
-dnl
-dnl This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-dnl but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-dnl MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
-dnl Lesser General Public License for more details.
-dnl
-dnl You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
-dnl License along with this library.  If not, see
-dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-dnl
-
-AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_ARG_CURL],[
-  LIBVIRT_ARG_WITH_FEATURE([CURL], [libcurl], [check], [7.18.0])
-])
-
-AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_CHECK_CURL],[
-  LIBVIRT_CHECK_PKG([CURL], [libcurl], [7.18.0])
-
-  # XXX as of libcurl-devel-7.20.1-3.fc13.x86_64, curl ships a version
-  # of <curl/curl.h> that #defines several wrapper macros around underlying
-  # functions to add type safety for gcc only.  However, these macros
-  # spuriously trip gcc's -Wlogical-op warning.  Avoid the warning by
-  # disabling the wrappers; even if it removes some type-check safety.
-  CURL_CFLAGS="-DCURL_DISABLE_TYPECHECK $CURL_CFLAGS"
-  AC_SUBST(CURL_CFLAGS)
-])
-
-AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_RESULT_CURL],[
-  LIBVIRT_RESULT_LIB([CURL])
-])
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 2b82337a42..bea478651b 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -995,6 +995,22 @@ if capng_dep.found()
   conf.set('WITH_CAPNG', 1)
 endif
 
+curl_version = '7.18.0'
+curl_dep = dependency('libcurl', version: '>=' + curl_version, required: get_option('curl'))
+if curl_dep.found()
+  # XXX as of libcurl-devel-7.20.1-3.fc13.x86_64, curl ships a version
+  # of <curl/curl.h> that #defines several wrapper macros around underlying
+  # functions to add type safety for gcc only.  However, these macros
+  # spuriously trip gcc's -Wlogical-op warning.  Avoid the warning by
+  # disabling the wrappers; even if it removes some type-check safety.
+  curl_dep = declare_dependency(
+    compile_args: [ '-DCURL_DISABLE_TYPECHECK' ],
+    dependencies: [ curl_dep ],
+  )
+
+  conf.set('WITH_CURL', 1)
+endif
+
 # readline 7.0 is the first version which includes pkg-config support
 readline_version = '7.0'
 readline_dep = dependency('readline', version: '>=' + readline_version, required: false)
@@ -1111,6 +1127,7 @@ libs_summary = {
   'bash_completion': bash_completion_dep.found(),
   'blkid': blkid_dep.found(),
   'capng': capng_dep.found(),
+  'curl': curl_dep.found(),
   'readline': readline_dep.found(),
 }
 summary(libs_summary, section: 'Libraries', bool_yn: true)
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index b6d4e31f64..8bf920343a 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ option('bash_completion', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'bash-com
 option('bash_completion_dir', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'directory containing bash completion scripts')
 option('blkid', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'blkid support')
 option('capng', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'cap-ng support')
+option('curl', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'curl support')
 option('readline', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'readline support')