diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c9a72557c2..cd52e9a535 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -150,7 +150,6 @@ LIBVIRT_ARG_VIRTUALPORT
 LIBVIRT_ARG_WIRESHARK
 LIBVIRT_ARG_YAJL
 
-LIBVIRT_CHECK_ACL
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_APPARMOR
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_ATTR
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_AUDIT
@@ -478,7 +477,6 @@ LIBVIRT_RESULT_DRIVER_MODULES
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([Libraries])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([])
-LIBVIRT_RESULT_ACL
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_APPARMOR
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_ATTR
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_AUDIT
diff --git a/m4/virt-acl.m4 b/m4/virt-acl.m4
deleted file mode 100644
index d548729b1d..0000000000
--- a/m4/virt-acl.m4
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-dnl ACL support
-dnl
-dnl Copyright (C) 2017 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_CHECK_ACL], [
-
-  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/acl.h])
-
-  ACL_CFLAGS=""
-  ACL_LIBS=""
-  with_acl=no
-  if test "x$ac_cv_header_sys_acl_h:x$with_linux" = "xyes:xyes"; then
-    ACL_LIBS="-lacl"
-    with_acl=yes
-  fi
-  AC_SUBST([ACL_CFLAGS])
-  AC_SUBST([ACL_LIBS])
-])
-
-AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_RESULT_ACL], [
-  LIBVIRT_RESULT_LIB([ACL])
-])
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 50c35a885d..edcc33117d 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -955,6 +955,16 @@ foreach name : optional_programs
 endforeach
 
 
+# generic build dependencies
+
+if host_machine.system() == 'linux' and cc.has_header('sys/acl.h')
+  acl_dep = cc.find_library('acl', required: false)
+  conf.set('HAVE_SYS_ACL_H', 1)
+else
+  acl_dep = dependency('', required: false)
+endif
+
+
 # define top include directory
 
 top_inc_dir = include_directories('.')
@@ -973,6 +983,11 @@ configure_file(output: 'meson-config.h', configuration: conf)
 
 # print configuration summary
 
+libs_summary = {
+  'acl': acl_dep.found(),
+}
+summary(libs_summary, section: 'Libraries', bool_yn: true)
+
 test_summary = {
   'Coverage': coverage_flags.length() > 0,
 }