diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index e4b2cb4c1d6..582fe54b745 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -3085,14 +3085,16 @@ endif
 
 ############################################################
 
+opt = not get_option('build-findfs').disabled()
 exe = executable(
   'findfs',
   findfs_sources,
   include_directories : includes,
   dependencies : [blkid_dep],
   install_dir : sbindir,
-  install : true)
-if not is_disabler(exe)
+  install : opt,
+  build_by_default : opt)
+if opt and not is_disabler(exe)
   exes += exe
   manadocs += ['misc-utils/findfs.8.adoc']
   bashcompletions += ['findfs']
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index da39893bbd5..8becfbdaab3 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -255,6 +255,8 @@ option('build-pylibmount', type : 'feature',
        description : 'build pylibmount')
 option('build-hexdump', type : 'feature',
        description : 'build hexdump')
+option('build-findfs', type : 'feature',
+       description : 'build findfs')
 
 # static programs