diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index a4231938d..9df4f4997 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ jobs:
       # test a meson based dist
       - run: meson dist -Cbuild && rm -rf build
       # test experimental APIs
-      - run: meson build -Dexperimental_api=true -Dbenchmark=true -Dexperimental_api=true -Doptimization=2 && ninja -j9 -Cbuild test # or meson test -Cbuild
+      - run: meson build -Dexperimental_api=true -Dexperimental_api=true -Doptimization=2 && ninja -j9 -Cbuild test # or meson test -Cbuild
       # run benchmarks
       - run: build/perf/perf && meson test -Cbuild --benchmark && rm -rf build # or ninja -Cbuild benchmark
       # mingw
diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/linux-ci.yml
index a731233a7..bf8e3df86 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux-ci.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: install meson and fonttools
       run: sudo pip3 install meson fonttools
     - name: run
-      run: meson build -Db_coverage=true -Dglib=enabled -Dcairo=enabled -Dicu=enabled -Dgraphite=enabled -Dfreetype=enabled -Dbenchmark=true -Doptimization=2
+      run: meson build -Db_coverage=true -Dglib=enabled -Dcairo=enabled -Dicu=enabled -Dgraphite=enabled -Dfreetype=enabled -Doptimization=2
     - name: ci
       run: meson test --print-errorlogs -Cbuild
 
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 29988f880..ea9cb3221 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -344,7 +344,10 @@ if not get_option('tests').disabled()
   subdir('test')
 endif
 
-if get_option('benchmark')
+if not get_option('benchmark').disabled() and \
+    ((host_machine.system() != 'windows' and \
+      not meson.is_subproject() and \
+      not meson.is_cross_build()) or get_option('benchmark').enabled())
   subdir('perf')
 endif
 
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index a61de2d3c..1590e0f7e 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ option('introspection', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', yield: true,
 option('gtk_doc',  type: 'feature', value: 'auto', yield: true,
   description: 'Generate documentation with gtk-doc')
 
-option('benchmark', type : 'boolean', value : false,
+option('benchmark', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
   description: 'Enable benchmark tests')
 option('icu_builtin', type: 'boolean', value: false,
   description: 'Don\'t separate ICU support as harfbuzz-icu module')