diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4c54e06b1..64e2840ab 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ if glib_dep.found()
   cdata.set('HAVE_GLIB20', 1) # to match the AM_CONDITIONAL for CMake file generation
 endif
 
-sndfile_dep = dependency('sndfile', version : '>= 1.0.20')
+sndfile_dep = dependency('sndfile', version : '>= 1.0.20', required : get_option('sndfile'))
 
 libsystemd_dep = dependency('libsystemd', required : get_option('systemd'))
 if libsystemd_dep.found()
@@ -641,6 +641,14 @@ if get_option('client')
   endif
 endif
 
+# Utils dependencies
+
+if get_option('utils')
+  if not sndfile_dep.found()
+    error('Utils enabled but sndfile disabled or not found!')
+  endif
+endif
+
 # Daemon and module dependencies
 
 if get_option('daemon')
@@ -815,6 +823,10 @@ if get_option('daemon')
     cdata.set('HAVE_GSTLDAC', 1)
     cdata.set('HAVE_GSTAPTX', 1)
   endif
+
+  if not sndfile_dep.found()
+    error('Daemon enabled but sndfile disabled or not found!')
+  endif
 endif
 
 # These are required for the CMake file generation
@@ -949,6 +961,7 @@ summary = [
   'Enable X11:                    @0@'.format(x11_dep.found()),
   'Enable D-Bus:                  @0@'.format(dbus_dep.found()),
   'Enable GLib 2:                 @0@'.format(glib_dep.found()),
+  'Enable libsndfile:             @0@'.format(sndfile_dep.found()),
   'Enable systemd integration:    @0@'.format(libsystemd_dep.found()),
   'Enable FFTW:                   @0@'.format(fftw_dep.found()),
   'Enable IPv6:                   @0@'.format(get_option('ipv6')),
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 5797d322b..bf996d7f0 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -147,6 +147,9 @@ option('oss-output',
 option('samplerate',
        type : 'feature', value : 'disabled',
        description : 'Optional libsamplerate support (DEPRECATED)')
+option('sndfile',
+       type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+       description : 'Optional libsndfile support')
 option('soxr',
        type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description : 'Optional SoXR support (resampling)')
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 1462e259d..af47d5c58 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ libpulsecommon_sources = [
   'pulsecore/time-smoother_2.c',
   'pulsecore/tokenizer.c',
   'pulsecore/usergroup.c',
-  'pulsecore/sndfile-util.c',
 ]
 
 libpulsecommon_headers = [
@@ -145,7 +144,6 @@ libpulsecommon_headers = [
   'pulsecore/time-smoother_2.h',
   'pulsecore/tokenizer.h',
   'pulsecore/usergroup.h',
-  'pulsecore/sndfile-util.h',
   'pulsecore/socket.h',
 ]
 
@@ -160,6 +158,15 @@ if dbus_dep.found()
   ]
 endif
 
+if sndfile_dep.found()
+  libpulsecommon_sources += [
+    'pulsecore/sndfile-util.c',
+  ]
+  libpulsecommon_headers += [
+    'pulsecore/sndfile-util.h',
+  ]
+endif
+
 if x11_dep.found()
   libpulsecommon_sources += [
     'pulse/client-conf-x11.c',
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/meson.build b/src/pulsecore/meson.build
index b30264b3a..b0fafce4b 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/meson.build
+++ b/src/pulsecore/meson.build
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ libpulsecore_sources = [
   'sink-input.c',
   'sioman.c',
   'socket-server.c',
-  'sound-file-stream.c',
-  'sound-file.c',
   'source.c',
   'source-output.c',
   'start-child.c',
@@ -103,8 +101,6 @@ libpulsecore_headers = [
   'sink.h',
   'sioman.h',
   'socket-server.h',
-  'sound-file-stream.h',
-  'sound-file.h',
   'source-output.h',
   'source.h',
   'start-child.h',
@@ -139,6 +135,17 @@ if samplerate_dep.found()
   libpulsecore_sources += ['resampler/libsamplerate.c']
 endif
 
+if sndfile_dep.found()
+  libpulsecore_sources += [
+    'sound-file-stream.c',
+    'sound-file.c',
+  ]
+  libpulsecore_headers += [
+    'sound-file-stream.h',
+    'sound-file.h',
+  ]
+endif
+
 if soxr_dep.found()
   libpulsecore_sources += ['resampler/soxr.c']
 endif