diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 966a9ba..cc9d8c2 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -121,9 +121,17 @@ gusb = dependency('gusb', version : '>= 0.2.7')
 gudev = dependency('gudev-1.0')
 libm = cc.find_library('m', required: false)
 libudev = dependency('libudev')
+udev_rules_dir = ''
 
 if get_option('udev_rules')
-  udev = dependency('udev')
+  udev = dependency('udev', required : false)
+  if udev.found()
+    udev_rules_dir = join_paths(udev.get_pkgconfig_variable('udevdir'), 'rules.d')
+  elif get_option('udev_rules_dir') != ''
+    udev_rules_dir = get_option('udev_rules_dir')
+  else
+    udev_rules_dir = join_paths(libudev.get_pkgconfig_variable('libdir'), 'udev', 'rules.d')
+  endif
 endif
 
 if get_option('systemd')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 88d0b7b..b1cfe42 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ option('daemon', type : 'boolean', value : true, description : 'build the daemon
 option('session_example', type : 'boolean', value : false, description : 'Enable session example')
 option('bash_completion', type : 'boolean', value : true, description : 'Enable bash completion')
 option('udev_rules', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'Install udev rules')
+option('udev_rules_dir', type : 'string', value : '', description : 'Directory to install udev rules into when udev.pc is unavailable')
 option('systemd', type : 'boolean', value : true, description : 'Enable systemd integration')
 option('systemd_root_prefix', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Directory to base systemd’s installation directories on')
 option('libcolordcompat', type : 'boolean', value : false, description : 'Enable libcolordcompat.so which is used by ArgyllCMS')
diff --git a/rules/meson.build b/rules/meson.build
index 7985e1d..4f328c9 100644
--- a/rules/meson.build
+++ b/rules/meson.build
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ install_data([
     sensor_rules_in,
     '95-cd-devices.rules',
   ],
-  install_dir : join_paths(udev.get_pkgconfig_variable('udevdir'), 'rules.d')
+  install_dir : udev_rules_dir
 )