diff --git a/libvirt.spec.in b/libvirt.spec.in
index cc04efe081..529c29214d 100644
--- a/libvirt.spec.in
+++ b/libvirt.spec.in
@@ -1128,7 +1128,7 @@ export SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH=$(stat --printf='%Y' %{_specdir}/%{name}.spec)
            -Dselinux=enabled \
            %{?arg_selinux_mount} \
            -Dapparmor=disabled \
-           -Dapparmor_profiles=false \
+           -Dapparmor_profiles=disabled \
            -Dsecdriver_apparmor=disabled \
            -Dudev=enabled \
            -Dyajl=enabled \
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index c3d0c190a9..e632dfbd77 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -857,11 +857,19 @@ if apparmor_dep.found()
   conf.set_quoted('APPARMOR_PROFILES_PATH', '/sys/kernel/security/apparmor/profiles')
 endif
 
-if get_option('apparmor_profiles')
+if not get_option('apparmor_profiles').disabled()
+  apparmor_profiles_enable = true
+
   if not conf.has('WITH_APPARMOR')
-    error('Cannot enable apparmor_profiles without apparmor')
+    apparmor_profiles_enable = false
+    if get_option('apparmor_profiles').enabled()
+      error('Cannot enable apparmor_profiles without apparmor')
+    endif
+  endif
+
+  if apparmor_profiles_enable
+    conf.set('WITH_APPARMOR_PROFILES', 1)
   endif
-  conf.set('WITH_APPARMOR_PROFILES', 1)
 endif
 
 # FIXME rewrite to use dependency() once we can use 2.4.48
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 2606648b64..f4f40fe9b5 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ option('driver_vmware', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'VMware dri
 option('driver_vz', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'Virtuozzo driver')
 
 option('secdriver_apparmor', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'use AppArmor security driver')
-option('apparmor_profiles', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: 'install apparmor profiles')
+option('apparmor_profiles', type: 'feature', value: 'disabled', description: 'install apparmor profiles')
 option('secdriver_selinux', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'use SELinux security driver')
 
 
diff --git a/mingw-libvirt.spec.in b/mingw-libvirt.spec.in
index 87223e205c..bcc2bd93e3 100644
--- a/mingw-libvirt.spec.in
+++ b/mingw-libvirt.spec.in
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ exit 1
   -Dcurl=enabled \
   -Ddocs=enabled \
   -Dapparmor=disabled \
-  -Dapparmor_profiles=false \
+  -Dapparmor_profiles=disabled \
   -Dattr=disabled \
   -Daudit=disabled \
   -Dbash_completion=disabled \