diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 617456676d..eb87adb1c4 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ for opt do
 done
 
 brlapi="auto"
-curl="$default_feature"
+curl="auto"
 iconv="auto"
 curses="auto"
 docs="auto"
@@ -1215,9 +1215,9 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --enable-iconv) iconv="enabled"
   ;;
-  --disable-curl) curl="no"
+  --disable-curl) curl="disabled"
   ;;
-  --enable-curl) curl="yes"
+  --enable-curl) curl="enabled"
   ;;
   --disable-fdt) fdt="disabled"
   ;;
@@ -3424,25 +3424,6 @@ for drv in $audio_drv_list; do
     esac
 done
 
-##########################################
-# curl probe
-if test "$curl" != "no" ; then
-  cat > $TMPC << EOF
-#include <curl/curl.h>
-int main(void) { curl_easy_init(); curl_multi_setopt(0, 0, 0); return 0; }
-EOF
-  curl_cflags=$($pkg_config libcurl --cflags 2>/dev/null)
-  curl_libs=$($pkg_config libcurl --libs 2>/dev/null)
-  if compile_prog "$curl_cflags" "$curl_libs" ; then
-    curl=yes
-  else
-    if test "$curl" = "yes" ; then
-      feature_not_found "curl" "Install libcurl devel"
-    fi
-    curl=no
-  fi
-fi # test "$curl"
-
 ##########################################
 # glib support probe
 
@@ -6103,11 +6084,6 @@ fi
 if test "$bswap_h" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_MACHINE_BSWAP_H=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
-if test "$curl" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_CURL=y" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "CURL_CFLAGS=$curl_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
-  echo "CURL_LIBS=$curl_libs" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
 if test "$gtk" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_GTK=y" >> $config_host_mak
   echo "GTK_CFLAGS=$gtk_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -6947,6 +6923,7 @@ NINJA=$ninja $meson setup \
         -Dvnc=$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=$brlapi \
+        -Dcurl=$curl \
         -Diconv=$iconv -Dcurses=$curses -Dlibudev=$libudev\
         -Ddocs=$docs -Dsphinx_build=$sphinx_build -Dinstall_blobs=$blobs \
         -Dvhost_user_blk_server=$vhost_user_blk_server \
diff --git a/contrib/elf2dmp/meson.build b/contrib/elf2dmp/meson.build
index b3de173316..4d86cb390a 100644
--- a/contrib/elf2dmp/meson.build
+++ b/contrib/elf2dmp/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-if 'CONFIG_CURL' in config_host
+if curl.found()
   executable('elf2dmp', files('main.c', 'addrspace.c', 'download.c', 'pdb.c', 'qemu_elf.c'),
              dependencies: [glib, curl],
              install: true)
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 2bc667721d..8bf77acc8d 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -396,9 +396,11 @@ if 'CONFIG_VIRGL' in config_host
                              link_args: config_host['VIRGL_LIBS'].split())
 endif
 curl = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_CURL' in config_host
-  curl = declare_dependency(compile_args: config_host['CURL_CFLAGS'].split(),
-                            link_args: config_host['CURL_LIBS'].split())
+if not get_option('curl').auto() or have_block
+  curl = dependency('libcurl', version: '>=7.29.0',
+                    method: 'pkg-config',
+                    required: get_option('curl'),
+                    static: enable_static)
 endif
 libudev = not_found
 if targetos == 'linux' and (have_system or have_tools)
@@ -876,6 +878,7 @@ config_host_data.set('CONFIG_COCOA', cocoa.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_LIBUDEV', libudev.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_MPATH', mpathpersist.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_MPATH_NEW_API', mpathpersist_new_api)
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_CURL', curl.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_CURSES', curses.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_SDL', sdl.found())
 config_host_data.set('CONFIG_SDL_IMAGE', sdl_image.found())
@@ -2165,7 +2168,7 @@ summary_info += {'iconv support':     iconv.found()}
 summary_info += {'curses support':    curses.found()}
 # TODO: add back version
 summary_info += {'virgl support':     config_host.has_key('CONFIG_VIRGL')}
-summary_info += {'curl support':      config_host.has_key('CONFIG_CURL')}
+summary_info += {'curl support':      curl.found()}
 summary_info += {'mingw32 support':   targetos == 'windows'}
 summary_info += {'Audio drivers':     config_host['CONFIG_AUDIO_DRIVERS']}
 summary_info += {'Block whitelist (rw)': config_host['CONFIG_BDRV_RW_WHITELIST']}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 62efe96a91..2b845ac62b 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ option('brlapi', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'brlapi character device driver')
 option('cocoa', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Cocoa user interface (macOS only)')
+option('curl', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description: 'CURL block device driver')
 option('mpath', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description: 'Multipath persistent reservation passthrough')
 option('iconv', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',