diff --git a/data/core/start.lua b/data/core/start.lua
index 330c42f5..a255bb2b 100644
--- a/data/core/start.lua
+++ b/data/core/start.lua
@@ -20,11 +20,13 @@ package.path = DATADIR .. '/?/init.lua;' .. package.path
 package.path = USERDIR .. '/?.lua;' .. package.path
 package.path = USERDIR .. '/?/init.lua;' .. package.path
 
-local dynamic_suffix = PLATFORM == "Mac OS X" and 'lib' or (PLATFORM == "Windows" and 'dll' or 'so')
-package.cpath = DATADIR .. '/?.' .. dynamic_suffix .. ";" .. USERDIR .. '/?.' .. dynamic_suffix
-package.native_plugins = {}
-package.searchers = { package.searchers[1], package.searchers[2], function(modname)
-  local path = package.searchpath(modname, package.cpath)
-  if not path then return nil end
-  return system.load_native_plugin, path
-end }
+if system.load_native_plugin then
+  local dynamic_suffix = PLATFORM == "Mac OS X" and 'lib' or (PLATFORM == "Windows" and 'dll' or 'so')
+  package.cpath = DATADIR .. '/?.' .. dynamic_suffix .. ";" .. USERDIR .. '/?.' .. dynamic_suffix
+  package.native_plugins = {}
+  package.searchers = { package.searchers[1], package.searchers[2], function(modname)
+    local path = package.searchpath(modname, package.cpath)
+    if not path then return nil end
+    return system.load_native_plugin, path
+  end }
+end
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 3fbd9c74..1afedce7 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ lite_cargs = []
 if get_option('renderer') or host_machine.system() == 'darwin'
     lite_cargs += '-DLITE_USE_SDL_RENDERER'
 endif
+
+if get_option('plugin-api')
+    lite_cargs += '-DLITE_XL_USE_PLUGIN_API'
+endif
+
 #===============================================================================
 # Linker Settings
 #===============================================================================
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 1cf3e22f..14d4a5b8 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ option('bundle', type : 'boolean', value : false, description: 'Build a macOS bu
 option('source-only', type : 'boolean', value : false, description: 'Configure source files only, doesn\'t checks for dependencies')
 option('portable', type : 'boolean', value : false, description: 'Portable install')
 option('renderer', type : 'boolean', value : false, description: 'Use SDL renderer')
+option('plugin-api', type : 'boolean', value : true, description: 'Enable native plugin API')
+
diff --git a/src/api/system.c b/src/api/system.c
index bcd1b997..b23b219f 100644
--- a/src/api/system.c
+++ b/src/api/system.c
@@ -651,6 +651,7 @@ static int f_set_window_opacity(lua_State *L) {
   return 1;
 }
 
+#ifdef LITE_XL_USE_PLUGIN_API
 // Symbol table for native plugin loading. Allows for a statically
 // bound lua library to be used by native plugins.
 typedef struct {
@@ -730,6 +731,7 @@ static int f_load_native_plugin(lua_State *L) {
 
   return result;
 }
+#endif
 
 
 static const luaL_Reg lib[] = {
@@ -758,7 +760,9 @@ static const luaL_Reg lib[] = {
   { "exec",                f_exec                },
   { "fuzzy_match",         f_fuzzy_match         },
   { "set_window_opacity",  f_set_window_opacity  },
-  { "load_native_plugin",  f_load_native_plugin  },
+#ifdef LITE_XL_USE_PLUGIN_API
+ { "load_native_plugin",  f_load_native_plugin  },
+#endif
   { NULL, NULL }
 };