diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 479f5747..14d23975 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -216,13 +216,20 @@ executable(
   install: true)
 
 if tic.found()
+  terminfo_install_location = get_option('terminfo-install-location')
+  if terminfo_install_location == ''
+    terminfo_install_location = join_paths(get_option('datadir'), 'terminfo')
+  endif
+
   custom_target(
     'terminfo',
     output: 'f',
     input: 'foot.info',
     command: [tic, '-x', '-o', '@OUTDIR@', '-e', 'foot,foot-direct', '@INPUT@'],
-    install: true,
-    install_dir: join_paths(get_option('datadir'), 'terminfo'))
+    install: terminfo_install_location != 'disabled',
+    install_dir: terminfo_install_location)
+else
+  terminfo_install_location = 'disabled'
 endif
 
 install_data(
@@ -240,6 +247,8 @@ subdir('icons')
 summary(
   {
     'IME': get_option('ime'),
+    'Terminfo': tic.found(),
+    'Terminfo install location': terminfo_install_location,
   },
   bool_yn: true
 )
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index b21bc7a4..52625b8d 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,5 @@
 option('ime', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'IME (Input Method Editor) support')
-option('terminfo', type: 'feature', description: 'Install terminfo')
+
+option('terminfo', type: 'feature', description: 'Build terminfo. When disabled, foot\'s terminfo will not be built, and foot will default to \'xterm-256color\' instead of \'foot\'.')
+
+option('terminfo-install-location', type: 'string', description: 'Where to install the foot terminfo files, relative to the installation prefix. If set to \'disabled\', the terminfo files are not installed at all (useful when packaging the terminfo files in a separate package). Defaults to $datadir/terminfo.')