diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4717bb2a..38d8693f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ if cc.has_function('clock_gettime', prefix: '#include <time.h>')
   conf_data.set10('HAVE_CLOCK_GETTIME', true)
 endif
 
+if build_machine.system() == 'darwin' or build_machine.system() == 'freebsd' or not cc.links('#include <argp.h>\nstatic error_t parse_opt (int key, char *arg, struct argp_state *state) { argp_usage(state); return 0; }; void main() {}')
+    argpdep = cc.find_library('argp')
+else
+    argpdep = dependency('', required : false)
+endif
+
 if cc.has_function('sched_setaffinity',
                    prefix: '#include <sched.h>',
                    args: '-D_GNU_SOURCE')
@@ -186,7 +192,7 @@ endif
 
 indexamajig = executable('indexamajig', indexamajig_sources,
                          dependencies: [mdep, libcrystfeldep, gsldep,
-                                        pthreaddep, zmqdep, asapodep, asapoproddep],
+                                        pthreaddep, zmqdep, asapodep, asapoproddep, argpdep],
                          install: true,
                          install_rpath: crystfel_rpath)