diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8135ee0e9ed90d942e4806e7a2df41c832d0323b..1b5834eb73202ac7c7fc68efb426b92209ecc88f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -95,7 +95,15 @@ if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
     threads_dep = []
 else
     pthreads = dependency('threads', required: true)
-    threads_dep = declare_dependency(link_args: '-lpthread', dependencies: pthreads)
+    if get_option('libtool_workaround')
+      libtool_forced_ldflags = ['-lpthread']
+      if cxx.find_library('atomic').found()
+        libtool_forced_ldflags += '-latomic'
+      endif
+      threads_dep = declare_dependency(link_args: libtool_forced_ldflags, dependencies: pthreads)
+    else
+      threads_dep = pthreads
+    endif
 endif
 
 sqlite_dep = dependency('sqlite3', version: '>= 3.33.0',
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index ce684dd5f3584e63b2cbb2f47309f3bf2b3fcf3f..a3539c59b04171fc7917b398c0648b3be0ec69dd 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -3,3 +3,6 @@ option('libjpeg_prefix', type: 'string')
 option('tests', type: 'feature', value: 'auto')
 option('force_attachment_api', type: 'boolean', value: false)
 option('fuzz', type: 'boolean', value: false)
+option('libtool_workaround', type: 'boolean', value: false,
+  description: 'Force explicit mention of some libraries in the .pc ' +
+  'file that would be overwritten by libtool\'s use of -nostdlib')