diff --git a/libvirt.spec.in b/libvirt.spec.in
index 1862edd2f8..1fc05054b5 100644
--- a/libvirt.spec.in
+++ b/libvirt.spec.in
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@
 %define with_libssh2          0
 %define with_wireshark        0
 %define with_libssh           0
+%define with_dmidecode        0
 
 # Finally set the OS / architecture specific special cases
 
@@ -183,6 +184,10 @@
     %endif
 %endif
 
+%ifarch %{ix86} x86_64
+    %define with_dmidecode 0%{!?_without_dmidecode:1}
+%endif
+
 # Force QEMU to run as non-root
 %define qemu_user  qemu
 %define qemu_group  qemu
@@ -435,7 +440,7 @@ Requires: iproute-tc
 %endif
 
 Requires: polkit >= 0.112
-%ifarch %{ix86} x86_64
+%if %{with_dmidecode}
 # For virConnectGetSysinfo
 Requires: dmidecode
 %endif