diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index efc9002b..070f37e4 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ if slurmdep.found()
   conf_data.set10('HAVE_SLURM', 1)
 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
+
 # Find HDF5 using inbuilt Meson methods.  Requires Meson >= 0.50.0
 hdf5dep = dependency('hdf5', language: 'c', required: true)
 
@@ -180,7 +186,7 @@ if zmqdep.found()
 endif
 
 executable('indexamajig', indexamajig_sources,
-           dependencies: [mdep, libcrystfeldep, gsldep, pthreaddep, zmqdep],
+           dependencies: [mdep, libcrystfeldep, gsldep, pthreaddep, zmqdep, argpdep],
            install: true,
            install_rpath: '$ORIGIN/../lib64/:$ORIGIN/../lib')