diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 38aa9d5eee..1f41e8f45d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_MACOS], [test "$with_macos" = "yes"])
 if test "$with_libvirtd" = "no" ; then
   with_qemu=no
   with_lxc=no
-  with_libxl=no
   with_vbox=no
 fi
 
@@ -112,7 +111,6 @@ dnl
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_ARG_QEMU
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_ARG_OPENVZ
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_ARG_VMWARE
-LIBVIRT_DRIVER_ARG_LIBXL
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_ARG_VBOX
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_ARG_LXC
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_ARG_VZ
@@ -123,7 +121,6 @@ LIBVIRT_DRIVER_ARG_INTERFACE
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_CHECK_QEMU
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_CHECK_OPENVZ
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_CHECK_VMWARE
-LIBVIRT_DRIVER_CHECK_LIBXL
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_CHECK_VBOX
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_CHECK_LXC
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_CHECK_VZ
@@ -325,7 +322,6 @@ LIBVIRT_DRIVER_RESULT_QEMU
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_RESULT_OPENVZ
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_RESULT_VMWARE
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_RESULT_VBOX
-LIBVIRT_DRIVER_RESULT_LIBXL
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_RESULT_LXC
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_RESULT_VZ
 LIBVIRT_DRIVER_RESULT_TEST
@@ -359,7 +355,6 @@ LIBVIRT_RESULT_DRIVER_MODULES
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([Libraries])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([])
-LIBVIRT_RESULT_LIBXL
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_NSS
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_PM_UTILS
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_RBD
diff --git a/m4/virt-driver-libxl.m4 b/m4/virt-driver-libxl.m4
deleted file mode 100644
index a958cb26fa..0000000000
--- a/m4/virt-driver-libxl.m4
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,74 +0,0 @@
-dnl The libxl driver
-dnl
-dnl Copyright (C) 2016 Red Hat, Inc.
-dnl
-dnl This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
-dnl modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
-dnl License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
-dnl version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
-dnl
-dnl This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-dnl but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-dnl MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
-dnl Lesser General Public License for more details.
-dnl
-dnl You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
-dnl License along with this library.  If not, see
-dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-dnl
-
-AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_DRIVER_ARG_LIBXL], [
-  LIBVIRT_ARG_WITH_FEATURE([LIBXL], [libxenlight], [check])
-])
-
-AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_DRIVER_CHECK_LIBXL], [
-  LIBXL_LIBS=""
-  LIBXL_CFLAGS=""
-  LIBXL_FIRMWARE_DIR=""
-  LIBXL_EXECBIN_DIR=""
-  LIBXL_API_VERSION="-DLIBXL_API_VERSION=0x040500"
-
-  dnl search for libxl, aka libxenlight
-  old_with_libxl="$with_libxl"
-  LIBVIRT_CHECK_PKG([LIBXL], [xenlight], [4.6.0])
-  if test "x$with_libxl" = "xyes" ; then
-    LIBXL_FIRMWARE_DIR=$($PKG_CONFIG --variable xenfirmwaredir xenlight)
-    LIBXL_EXECBIN_DIR=$($PKG_CONFIG --variable libexec_bin xenlight)
-  fi
-
-  if test "$with_libxl" = "yes"; then
-    LIBXL_CFLAGS="$LIBXL_CFLAGS $LIBXL_API_VERSION"
-
-    dnl If building with libxl, use the libxl utility header and lib too
-    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([libxlutil.h])
-    LIBXL_LIBS="$LIBXL_LIBS -lxlutil"
-    if test "x$LIBXL_FIRMWARE_DIR" != "x"; then
-      AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([LIBXL_FIRMWARE_DIR], ["$LIBXL_FIRMWARE_DIR"], [directory containing Xen firmware blobs])
-    fi
-    if test "x$LIBXL_EXECBIN_DIR" != "x"; then
-      AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([LIBXL_EXECBIN_DIR], ["$LIBXL_EXECBIN_DIR"], [directory containing Xen libexec binaries])
-    fi
-    dnl Check if the xtl_* infrastructure is in libxentoollog
-    dnl (since Xen 4.7) if not then assume it is in libxenctrl
-    dnl (as it was for 4.6 and earler)
-    AC_CHECK_LIB([xentoollog], [xtl_createlogger_stdiostream], [
-      LIBXL_LIBS="$LIBXL_LIBS -lxenstore -lxentoollog"
-    ],[
-      LIBXL_LIBS="$LIBXL_LIBS -lxenstore -lxenctrl"
-    ])
-  fi
-
-  dnl Check if Xen has support for PVH
-  AC_CHECK_DECL(LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_PVH, [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_XEN_PVH], [1], [Define to 1 if Xen has PVH support.])], [], [#include <libxl.h>])
-
-  AC_SUBST([LIBXL_CFLAGS])
-  AC_SUBST([LIBXL_LIBS])
-])
-
-AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_RESULT_LIBXL], [
-  LIBVIRT_RESULT_LIB([LIBXL])
-])
-
-AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_DRIVER_RESULT_LIBXL], [
-  LIBVIRT_RESULT([libxl], [$with_libxl])
-])
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index a246a4196e..24639e8a88 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1617,6 +1617,57 @@ elif get_option('driver_hyperv').enabled()
   error('openwsman is required for the Hyper-V driver')
 endif
 
+if not get_option('driver_libxl').disabled() and conf.has('WITH_LIBVIRTD')
+  libxl_version = '4.6.0'
+  libxl_dep = dependency('xenlight', version: '>=' + libxl_version, required: get_option('driver_libxl'))
+
+  if libxl_dep.found()
+    libxl_firmware_dir = libxl_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('xenfirmwaredir')
+    libxl_execbin = libxl_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('libexec_bin')
+    if libxl_firmware_dir != ''
+      conf.set_quoted('LIBXL_FIRMWARE_DIR', libxl_firmware_dir)
+    endif
+    if libxl_execbin != ''
+      conf.set_quoted('LIBXL_EXECBIN_DIR', libxl_execbin)
+    endif
+
+    # If building with libxl, use the libxl utility header and lib too
+    if cc.has_header('libxlutil.h')
+      conf.set('HAVE_LIBXLUTIL_H', 1)
+    endif
+    xl_util_dep = cc.find_library('xlutil')
+
+    xen_store_dep = cc.find_library('xenstore')
+
+    # xtl_* infrastructure is in libxentoollog since Xen 4.7 previously
+    # it was in libxenctrl.
+    if libxl_dep.version().version_compare('>=4.7.0')
+      xtl_link_dep = cc.find_library('xentoollog')
+    else
+      xtl_link_dep = cc.find_library('xenctrl')
+    endif
+
+    libxl_dep = declare_dependency(
+      compile_args: '-DLIBXL_API_VERSION=0x040500',
+      dependencies: [
+        libxl_dep,
+        xtl_link_dep,
+        xl_util_dep,
+        xen_store_dep,
+      ],
+    )
+
+    # Check if Xen has support for PVH
+    if cc.has_header_symbol('libxl.h', 'LIBXL_DOMAIN_TYPE_PVH')
+      conf.set('HAVE_XEN_PVH', 1)
+    endif
+
+    conf.set('WITH_LIBXL', 1)
+  endif
+elif get_option('driver_libxl').enabled()
+  error('libvirtd is required for libxenlight')
+endif
+
 
 # define top include directory
 
@@ -1637,6 +1688,7 @@ configure_file(output: 'meson-config.h', configuration: conf)
 # print configuration summary
 
 driver_summary = {
+  'libxl': conf.has('WITH_LIBXL'),
   'ESX': conf.has('WITH_ESX'),
   'Hyper-V': conf.has('WITH_HYPERV'),
   'Bhyve': conf.has('WITH_BHYVE'),
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 75679e1d0f..0ca5589a6e 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -52,5 +52,6 @@ option('driver_bhyve', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'bhyve drive
 option('driver_esx', type: 'feature', value: 'enabled', description: 'esx driver')
 option('driver_hyperv', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'Hyper-V driver')
 option('driver_libvirtd', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'libvirtd driver')
+option('driver_libxl', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'libxenlight driver')
 option('driver_remote', type: 'feature', value: 'enabled', description: 'remote driver')
 option('remote_default_mode', type: 'combo', choices: ['legacy', 'direct'], value: 'legacy', description: 'remote driver default mode')