diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ee886b8adc..4406db980c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -28,11 +28,12 @@ m4_defines = []
 
 #####################################################################
 
+rootprefixdir = get_option('rootprefix')
 if get_option('split-usr')
   conf.set('HAVE_SPLIT_USR', 1)
-  rootprefixdir = '/'
+  rootprefixdir = rootprefixdir != '' ? rootprefixdir : '/'
 else
-  rootprefixdir = '/usr'
+  rootprefixdir = rootprefixdir != '' ? rootprefixdir : '/usr'
 endif
 
 sysvinit_path = get_option('sysvinit-path')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 1058e10db6..005fd0e992 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ option('split-usr', type : 'boolean', value : false,
        description : '''assume that /bin, /sbin aren't symlinks into /usr''')
 option('rootlibdir', type : 'string',
        description : '''[/usr]/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu or such''')
+option('rootprefix', type : 'string',
+       description : '''override the root prefix''')
 
 option('sysvinit-path', type : 'string', value : '/etc/init.d',
        description : 'the directory where the SysV init scripts are located')