diff --git a/include/meson.build b/include/meson.build
index 188b835bf..25239ad74 100644
--- a/include/meson.build
+++ b/include/meson.build
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ conf_data.set('DPMSExtension', build_dpms)
 conf_data.set('DRI2', build_dri2)
 conf_data.set('DRI3', build_dri3)
 conf_data.set_quoted('DRI_DRIVER_PATH', dri_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('dridriverdir'))
-conf_data.set('HAS_SHM', '1')
+conf_data.set('HAS_SHM', build_mitshm)
 conf_data.set('MITSHM', build_mitshm)
 conf_data.set('PANORAMIX', build_xinerama)
 conf_data.set('PRESENT', '1')
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8e17c4f82..c66a2501c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -387,8 +387,14 @@ if (get_option('linux_acpi') == true and
     endif
 endif
 
+build_mitshm = false
+if get_option('mitshm') == 'auto'
+    build_mitshm = cc.has_header('sys/shm.h')
+elif get_option('mitshm') == 'true'
+    build_mitshm = true
+endif
+
 # XXX: Allow configuration of these.
-build_mitshm = true
 build_xselinux = false
 build_xf86vidmode = xf86vidmodeproto_dep.found()
 
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index c674d750a..d7af87d73 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ option('linux_apm', type: 'boolean', value: true,
        description: 'APM support on Linux')
 option('linux_acpi', type: 'boolean', value: true,
        description: 'ACPI support on Linux')
+option('mitshm', type: 'combo', choices: ['true', 'false', 'auto'], value: 'auto',
+       description: 'SHM extension')
 
 option('dri1', type: 'combo', choices: ['true', 'false', 'auto'], value: 'auto', description: 'Build DRI1 extension (default: auto)')
 option('dri2', type: 'combo', choices: ['true', 'false', 'auto'], value: 'auto', description: 'Build DRI2 extension (default: auto)')