diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 48c21775f3..bb99a40ed0 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -344,7 +344,6 @@ debug_stack_usage="no"
 crypto_afalg="no"
 tls_priority="NORMAL"
 tpm="$default_feature"
-libssh="$default_feature"
 live_block_migration=${default_feature:-yes}
 numa="$default_feature"
 replication=${default_feature:-yes}
@@ -1078,10 +1077,6 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --enable-tpm) tpm="yes"
   ;;
-  --disable-libssh) libssh="no"
-  ;;
-  --enable-libssh) libssh="yes"
-  ;;
   --disable-live-block-migration) live_block_migration="no"
   ;;
   --enable-live-block-migration) live_block_migration="yes"
@@ -1448,7 +1443,6 @@ cat << EOF
   live-block-migration   Block migration in the main migration stream
   coroutine-pool  coroutine freelist (better performance)
   tpm             TPM support
-  libssh          ssh block device support
   numa            libnuma support
   avx2            AVX2 optimization support
   avx512f         AVX512F optimization support
@@ -2561,21 +2555,6 @@ if test "$modules" = yes; then
     fi
 fi
 
-##########################################
-# libssh probe
-if test "$libssh" != "no" ; then
-  if $pkg_config --exists "libssh >= 0.8.7"; then
-    libssh_cflags=$($pkg_config libssh --cflags)
-    libssh_libs=$($pkg_config libssh --libs)
-    libssh=yes
-  else
-    if test "$libssh" = "yes" ; then
-      error_exit "libssh required for --enable-libssh"
-    fi
-    libssh=no
-  fi
-fi
-
 ##########################################
 # TPM emulation is only on POSIX
 
@@ -3636,12 +3615,6 @@ if test "$cmpxchg128" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_CMPXCHG128=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
-if test "$libssh" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_LIBSSH=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "LIBSSH_CFLAGS=$libssh_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "LIBSSH_LIBS=$libssh_libs" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
-
 if test "$live_block_migration" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_LIVE_BLOCK_MIGRATION=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 96de1a6ef9..ae67ca28ab 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -874,11 +874,15 @@ if not get_option('glusterfs').auto() or have_block
     ''', dependencies: glusterfs)
   endif
 endif
+
 libssh = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_LIBSSH' in config_host
-  libssh = declare_dependency(compile_args: config_host['LIBSSH_CFLAGS'].split(),
-                              link_args: config_host['LIBSSH_LIBS'].split())
+if not get_option('libssh').auto() or have_block
+  libssh = dependency('libssh', version: '>=0.8.7',
+                    method: 'pkg-config',
+                    required: get_option('libssh'),
+                    kwargs: static_kwargs)
 endif
+
 libbzip2 = not_found
 if not get_option('bzip2').auto() or have_block
   libbzip2 = cc.find_library('bz2', has_headers: ['bzlib.h'],
@@ -1451,6 +1455,7 @@ config_host_data.set('CONFIG_EBPF', libbpf.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBDAXCTL', libdaxctl.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBISCSI', libiscsi.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBNFS', libnfs.found())
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBSSH', libssh.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LINUX_AIO', libaio.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LINUX_IO_URING', linux_io_uring.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBPMEM', libpmem.found())
@@ -3430,7 +3435,7 @@ endif
 summary_info += {'seccomp support':   seccomp}
 summary_info += {'GlusterFS support': glusterfs}
 summary_info += {'TPM support':       config_host.has_key('CONFIG_TPM')}
-summary_info += {'libssh support':    config_host.has_key('CONFIG_LIBSSH')}
+summary_info += {'libssh support':    libssh}
 summary_info += {'lzo support':       lzo}
 summary_info += {'snappy support':    snappy}
 summary_info += {'bzip2 support':     libbzip2}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index e392323732..4114bfcaa4 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ option('libdaxctl', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'libdaxctl support')
 option('libpmem', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'libpmem support')
+option('libssh', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'ssh block device support')
 option('libudev', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Use libudev to enumerate host devices')
 option('libusb', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
diff --git a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
index 7a17ff4218..ae8f18edc2 100644
--- a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
+++ b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ meson_options_help() {
   printf "%s\n" '  libiscsi        libiscsi userspace initiator'
   printf "%s\n" '  libnfs          libnfs block device driver'
   printf "%s\n" '  libpmem         libpmem support'
+  printf "%s\n" '  libssh          ssh block device support'
   printf "%s\n" '  libudev         Use libudev to enumerate host devices'
   printf "%s\n" '  libusb          libusb support for USB passthrough'
   printf "%s\n" '  libxml2         libxml2 support for Parallels image format'
@@ -177,6 +178,8 @@ _meson_option_parse() {
     --disable-libnfs) printf "%s" -Dlibnfs=disabled ;;
     --enable-libpmem) printf "%s" -Dlibpmem=enabled ;;
     --disable-libpmem) printf "%s" -Dlibpmem=disabled ;;
+    --enable-libssh) printf "%s" -Dlibssh=enabled ;;
+    --disable-libssh) printf "%s" -Dlibssh=disabled ;;
     --enable-libudev) printf "%s" -Dlibudev=enabled ;;
     --disable-libudev) printf "%s" -Dlibudev=disabled ;;
     --enable-libusb) printf "%s" -Dlibusb=enabled ;;