diff --git a/configure b/configure
index e54d06b99e..02b0acc1f5 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ trace_file="trace"
 spice="$default_feature"
 spice_protocol="auto"
 rbd="auto"
-smartcard="$default_feature"
+smartcard="auto"
 u2f="auto"
 libusb="auto"
 usb_redir="$default_feature"
@@ -1277,9 +1277,9 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --enable-xfsctl) xfs="yes"
   ;;
-  --disable-smartcard) smartcard="no"
+  --disable-smartcard) smartcard="disabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-smartcard) smartcard="yes"
+  --enable-smartcard) smartcard="enabled"
   ;;
   --disable-u2f) u2f="disabled"
   ;;
@@ -3980,20 +3980,6 @@ EOF
   fi
 fi
 
-# check for smartcard support
-if test "$smartcard" != "no"; then
-    if $pkg_config --atleast-version=2.5.1 libcacard; then
-        libcacard_cflags=$($pkg_config --cflags libcacard)
-        libcacard_libs=$($pkg_config --libs libcacard)
-        smartcard="yes"
-    else
-        if test "$smartcard" = "yes"; then
-            feature_not_found "smartcard" "Install libcacard devel"
-        fi
-        smartcard="no"
-    fi
-fi
-
 # check for usbredirparser for usb network redirection support
 if test "$usb_redir" != "no" ; then
     if $pkg_config --atleast-version=0.6 libusbredirparser-0.5; then
@@ -5611,12 +5597,6 @@ if test "$spice" = "yes" ; then
   echo "SPICE_LIBS=$spice_libs" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
-if test "$smartcard" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_SMARTCARD=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "SMARTCARD_CFLAGS=$libcacard_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "SMARTCARD_LIBS=$libcacard_libs" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-
 if test "$usb_redir" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_USB_REDIR=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "USB_REDIR_CFLAGS=$usb_redir_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -6195,7 +6175,7 @@ if test "$skip_meson" = no; then
         -Dkvm=$kvm -Dhax=$hax -Dwhpx=$whpx -Dhvf=$hvf -Dnvmm=$nvmm \
         -Dxen=$xen -Dxen_pci_passthrough=$xen_pci_passthrough -Dtcg=$tcg \
         -Dcocoa=$cocoa -Dgtk=$gtk -Dmpath=$mpath -Dsdl=$sdl -Dsdl_image=$sdl_image \
-        -Dlibusb=$libusb \
+        -Dlibusb=$libusb -Dsmartcard=$smartcard \
         -Dvnc=$vnc -Dvnc_sasl=$vnc_sasl -Dvnc_jpeg=$vnc_jpeg -Dvnc_png=$vnc_png \
         -Dgettext=$gettext -Dxkbcommon=$xkbcommon -Du2f=$u2f -Dvirtiofsd=$virtiofsd \
         -Dcapstone=$capstone -Dslirp=$slirp -Dfdt=$fdt -Dbrlapi=$brlapi \
diff --git a/hw/usb/meson.build b/hw/usb/meson.build
index bd3f8735b9..df9effbb10 100644
--- a/hw/usb/meson.build
+++ b/hw/usb/meson.build
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ softmmu_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_POSIX', 'CONFIG_USB_STORAGE_MTP'], if_true: files(
 # smartcard
 softmmu_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_USB_SMARTCARD', if_true: files('dev-smartcard-reader.c'))
 
-if config_host.has_key('CONFIG_SMARTCARD')
+if cacard.found()
   usbsmartcard_ss = ss.source_set()
   usbsmartcard_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_USB_SMARTCARD',
                       if_true: [cacard, files('ccid-card-emulated.c', 'ccid-card-passthru.c')])
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0b4b55b9da..afcfcb8c57 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -976,9 +976,10 @@ if 'CONFIG_XEN_BACKEND' in config_host
                            link_args: config_host['XEN_LIBS'].split())
 endif
 cacard = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_SMARTCARD' in config_host
-  cacard = declare_dependency(compile_args: config_host['SMARTCARD_CFLAGS'].split(),
-                              link_args: config_host['SMARTCARD_LIBS'].split())
+if not get_option('smartcard').auto() or have_system
+  cacard = dependency('libcacard', required: get_option('smartcard'),
+                      version: '>=2.5.1', method: 'pkg-config',
+                      kwargs: static_kwargs)
 endif
 u2f = not_found
 if have_system
@@ -2781,7 +2782,7 @@ summary_info += {'bpf support': libbpf.found()}
 summary_info += {'spice support':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_SPICE')}
 summary_info += {'rbd support':       rbd.found()}
 summary_info += {'xfsctl support':    config_host.has_key('CONFIG_XFS')}
-summary_info += {'smartcard support': config_host.has_key('CONFIG_SMARTCARD')}
+summary_info += {'smartcard support': cacard.found()}
 summary_info += {'U2F support':       u2f.found()}
 summary_info += {'libusb':            libusb.found()}
 summary_info += {'usb net redir':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_USB_REDIR')}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 02c14d4751..cd9374384e 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ option('sdl_image', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'SDL Image support for icons')
 option('seccomp', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'seccomp support')
+option('smartcard', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'CA smartcard emulation support')
 option('snappy', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'snappy compression support')
 option('u2f', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',