diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 71118d6ae..bce1b7421 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -259,6 +259,10 @@ if cc.has_header('sys/soundcard.h')
   cdata.set_quoted('PULSEDSP_LOCATION',	pulsedspdir)
 endif
 
+if get_option('hal-compat')
+  cdata.set('HAVE_HAL_COMPAT', 1)
+endif
+
 avahi_dep = dependency('avahi-client', version : '>= 0.6.0', required : get_option('avahi'))
 if avahi_dep.found()
   cdata.set('HAVE_AVAHI', 1)
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 816feedc3..8f4f2ed54 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ option('dbus',
 option('fftw',
        type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description : 'Optional FFTW support')
+option('hal-compat',
+       type : 'boolean',
+       description : 'Optional HAL->udev transition compatibility support (needs udev)')
 option('jack',
        type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description : 'Optional JACK support')
diff --git a/src/modules/meson.build b/src/modules/meson.build
index da528a927..c7f06cc59 100644
--- a/src/modules/meson.build
+++ b/src/modules/meson.build
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ all_modules = [
   [ 'module-filter-apply', 'module-filter-apply.c' ],
   [ 'module-filter-heuristics', 'module-filter-heuristics.c' ],
 #  [ 'module-gconf', 'gconf/module-gconf.c' ],
-  [ 'module-hal-detect', 'module-hal-detect-compat.c' ],
   [ 'module-http-protocol-tcp', 'module-protocol-stub.c', [], ['-DUSE_PROTOCOL_HTTP', '-DUSE_TCP_SOCKETS'], [], libprotocol_http ],
   [ 'module-http-protocol-unix', 'module-protocol-stub.c', [], ['-DUSE_PROTOCOL_HTTP', '-DUSE_UNIX_SOCKETS'], [], libprotocol_http ],
   [ 'module-intended-roles', 'module-intended-roles.c' ],
@@ -176,6 +175,9 @@ endif
 
 if udev_dep.found()
   all_modules += [ [ 'module-udev-detect', 'module-udev-detect.c', [], [], [udev_dep] ] ]
+  if get_option('hal-compat')
+    all_modules += [ [ 'module-hal-detect', 'module-hal-detect-compat.c' ] ]
+  endif
 endif
 
 if x11_dep.found()