diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 325f7cf70..cdb9e857e 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -26,24 +26,24 @@ check_funcs = [
   ['round'],
 ]
 
-freetype_dep = dependency('freetype2', required: false,
+freetype_dep = dependency('freetype2', required: get_option('freetype'),
                           fallback: ['freetype2', 'freetype_dep'])
-glib_dep = dependency('glib-2.0', required: false,
+glib_dep = dependency('glib-2.0', required: get_option('glib'),
                       fallback: ['glib', 'libglib_dep'])
-gobject_dep = dependency('gobject-2.0', required: false,
+gobject_dep = dependency('gobject-2.0', required: get_option('gobject'),
                          fallback: ['glib', 'libgobject_dep'])
-cairo_dep = dependency('cairo', required: false,
+cairo_dep = dependency('cairo', required: get_option('cairo'),
                        fallback: ['cairo', 'libcairo_dep'])
-fontconfig_dep = dependency('fontconfig', required: false,
+fontconfig_dep = dependency('fontconfig', required: get_option('fontconfig'),
                             fallback: ['fontconfig', 'fontconfig_dep'])
-graphite2_dep = dependency('graphite2', required: false)
-icu_dep = dependency('icu-uc', required: false)
+graphite2_dep = dependency('graphite2', required: get_option('graphite'))
+icu_dep = dependency('icu-uc', required: get_option('icu'))
 m_dep = cpp.find_library('m', required: false)
 
 # Ensure that cairo-ft is fetched from the same library as cairo itself
 if cairo_dep.found()
   if cairo_dep.type_name() == 'pkgconfig'
-    cairo_ft_dep = dependency('cairo-ft', required: false)
+    cairo_ft_dep = dependency('cairo-ft', required: get_option('cairo'))
   else
     cairo_ft_dep = cairo_dep
   endif
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..967b1f696
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# HarfBuzz feature options
+option('glib', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+  description: 'Enable GLib unicode functions')
+option('gobject', type: 'feature', value: 'disabled',
+  description: 'Enable GObject bindings')
+option('cairo', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+  description: 'Use Cairo graphics library')
+option('fontconfig', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+  description: 'Use fontconfig')
+option('icu', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+  description: 'Enable ICU library unicode functions')
+option('graphite', type: 'feature', value: 'disabled',
+  description: 'Enable Graphite2 complementary shaper')
+option('freetype', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+  description: 'Enable freetype interop helpers')
+
+# Common feature options
+#option('tests', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', yield : true,
+#  description: 'Enable or disable unit tests')
+#option('introspection', type : 'feature', value : 'disabled', yield : true,
+#  description : 'Generate gobject-introspection bindings (.gir/.typelib files)')
diff --git a/util/meson.build b/util/meson.build
index 6a6220b2a..0c2e381e8 100644
--- a/util/meson.build
+++ b/util/meson.build
@@ -57,4 +57,8 @@ if conf.get('HAVE_GLIB', 0) == 1
     link_with: [libharfbuzz],
     install: true,
   )
+else
+  # Disable tests that use this
+  hb_shape = disabler()
+  hb_subset = disabler()
 endif