diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 26b084f7..540dee83 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -84,19 +84,20 @@ if get_option('libraries')
 	subdir('cursor')
 	subdir('egl')
 	subdir('tests')
+	if get_option('documentation')
+		subdir('doc')
+	endif
 endif
 
-if get_option('documentation')
-	subdir('doc')
+if get_option('scanner')
+	install_data([
+		'wayland-scanner.mk',
+		'protocol/wayland.xml',
+		'protocol/wayland.dtd',
+	])
+
+	install_data(
+		[ 'wayland-scanner.m4' ],
+		install_dir: join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('datadir'), 'aclocal'),
+	)
 endif
-
-install_data([
-	'wayland-scanner.mk',
-	'protocol/wayland.xml',
-	'protocol/wayland.dtd',
-])
-
-install_data(
-	[ 'wayland-scanner.m4' ],
-	install_dir: join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('datadir'), 'aclocal'),
-)
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 76314f79..de588d13 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ option('libraries',
   description: 'Compile Wayland libraries',
   type: 'boolean',
   value: 'true')
+option('scanner',
+  description: 'Compile wayland-scanner binary',
+  type: 'boolean',
+  value: 'true')
 option('documentation',
   description: 'Build the documentation (requires Doxygen, dot, xmlto, xsltproc)',
   type: 'boolean',
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index cf92321f..a61d40f6 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -4,12 +4,6 @@ wayland_version_h.set('WAYLAND_VERSION', meson.project_version())
 wayland_version_h.set('WAYLAND_VERSION_MAJOR', wayland_version[0].to_int())
 wayland_version_h.set('WAYLAND_VERSION_MINOR', wayland_version[1].to_int())
 wayland_version_h.set('WAYLAND_VERSION_MICRO', wayland_version[2].to_int())
-configure_file(
-	input: 'wayland-version.h.in',
-	output: 'wayland-version.h',
-	configuration: wayland_version_h,
-	install_dir: join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('includedir'))
-)
 
 wayland_util = static_library(
 	'wayland-util',
@@ -21,40 +15,48 @@ wayland_util_dep = declare_dependency(
 	include_directories: include_directories('.')
 )
 
-# wayland-scanner
+if get_option('scanner')
+	# wayland-scanner
 
-configure_file(
-	input: '../protocol/wayland.dtd',
-	output: 'wayland.dtd.embed',
-	copy: true
-)
+	configure_file(
+		input: 'wayland-version.h.in',
+		output: 'wayland-version.h',
+		configuration: wayland_version_h,
+	)
 
-wayland_scanner_sources = [ 'scanner.c', 'dtddata.S' ]
-wayland_scanner_includes = [ root_inc, protocol_inc ]
+	configure_file(
+		input: '../protocol/wayland.dtd',
+		output: 'wayland.dtd.embed',
+		copy: true
+	)
 
-wayland_scanner = executable(
-	'wayland-scanner',
-	wayland_scanner_sources,
-	c_args: [ '-include', 'config.h' ],
-	include_directories: wayland_scanner_includes,
-	dependencies: [ scanner_deps, wayland_util_dep, ],
-	install: true
-)
+	wayland_scanner_sources = [ 'scanner.c', 'dtddata.S' ]
+	wayland_scanner_includes = [ root_inc, protocol_inc ]
 
-pkgconfig.generate(
-	name: 'Wayland Scanner',
-	description: 'Wayland scanner',
-	version: meson.project_version(),
-	variables: [
-		'datarootdir=' + join_paths('${prefix}', get_option('datadir')),
-		'pkgdatadir=' + join_paths('${datarootdir}', meson.project_name()),
-		'bindir=' + join_paths('${prefix}', get_option('bindir')),
-		'wayland_scanner=${bindir}/wayland-scanner'
-	],
-	filebase: 'wayland-scanner'
-)
+	wayland_scanner = executable(
+		'wayland-scanner',
+		wayland_scanner_sources,
+		c_args: [ '-include', 'config.h' ],
+		include_directories: wayland_scanner_includes,
+		dependencies: [ scanner_deps, wayland_util_dep, ],
+		install: true
+	)
 
-if meson.is_cross_build()
+	pkgconfig.generate(
+		name: 'Wayland Scanner',
+		description: 'Wayland scanner',
+		version: meson.project_version(),
+		variables: [
+			'datarootdir=' + join_paths('${prefix}', get_option('datadir')),
+			'pkgdatadir=' + join_paths('${datarootdir}', meson.project_name()),
+			'bindir=' + join_paths('${prefix}', get_option('bindir')),
+			'wayland_scanner=${bindir}/wayland-scanner'
+		],
+		filebase: 'wayland-scanner'
+	)
+endif
+
+if meson.is_cross_build() or not get_option('scanner')
 	scanner_dep = dependency('wayland-scanner', native: true, version: meson.project_version())
 	wayland_scanner_for_build = find_program(scanner_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('wayland_scanner'))
 else
@@ -62,6 +64,19 @@ else
 endif
 
 if get_option('libraries')
+	# wayland libraries
+
+	# Duplicated inside the "if get_option('scanner')" block above since we
+	# still need the wayland-version.h to build the scanner, but do not want
+	# to install it. Meson 0.50 adds "install: bool" which will let us
+	# deduplicate this block.
+	configure_file(
+		input: 'wayland-version.h.in',
+		output: 'wayland-version.h',
+		configuration: wayland_version_h,
+		install_dir: join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('includedir'))
+	)
+
 	mathlib_dep = cc.find_library('m', required: false)
 	threads_dep = dependency('threads', required: false)
 
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index f1af7b4a..224f48dd 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -76,16 +76,18 @@ test(
 
 sed_path = find_program('sed').path()
 
-test(
-	'scanner-test',
-	find_program('scanner-test.sh'),
-	env: [
-		'TEST_DATA_DIR=@0@/data'.format(meson.current_source_dir()),
-		'TEST_OUTPUT_DIR=@0@/output'.format(meson.current_build_dir()),
-		'SED=@0@'.format(sed_path),
-		'WAYLAND_SCANNER=@0@'.format(wayland_scanner.full_path()),
-	],
-)
+if get_option('scanner')
+	test(
+		'scanner-test',
+		find_program('scanner-test.sh'),
+		env: [
+			'TEST_DATA_DIR=@0@/data'.format(meson.current_source_dir()),
+			'TEST_OUTPUT_DIR=@0@/output'.format(meson.current_build_dir()),
+			'SED=@0@'.format(sed_path),
+			'WAYLAND_SCANNER=@0@'.format(wayland_scanner.full_path()),
+		],
+	)
+endif
 
 tests = {
 	'array-test': [],