[v2,5/5] build: select optional libraries

diff --git a/buildtools/chkincs/meson.build b/buildtools/chkincs/meson.build
index 5ffca89761..6b93d5f46c 100644
--- a/buildtools/chkincs/meson.build
+++ b/buildtools/chkincs/meson.build
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@  sources = files('main.c')
 sources += gen_c_files.process(dpdk_chkinc_headers)
 
 deps = []
-foreach l:enabled_libs
+foreach l:dpdk_libs_enabled
     deps += get_variable('static_rte_' + l)
 endforeach
 
diff --git a/lib/meson.build b/lib/meson.build
index dad9fce14d..47c857c0fc 100644
--- a/lib/meson.build
+++ b/lib/meson.build
@@ -78,17 +78,10 @@  optional_libs = [
         'vhost',
 ]
 
-disabled_libs = []
-opt_disabled_libs = run_command(list_dir_globs, get_option('disable_libs'),
+enable_libs = run_command(list_dir_globs, get_option('enable_libs'),
+        check: true).stdout().split()
+disable_libs = run_command(list_dir_globs, get_option('disable_libs'),
         check: true).stdout().split()
-foreach l:opt_disabled_libs
-    if not optional_libs.contains(l)
-        warning('Cannot disable mandatory library "@0@"'.format(l))
-        continue
-    endif
-    disabled_libs += l
-endforeach
-
 
 default_cflags = machine_args
 default_cflags += ['-DALLOW_EXPERIMENTAL_API']
@@ -98,8 +91,6 @@  if cc.has_argument('-Wno-format-truncation')
     default_cflags += '-Wno-format-truncation'
 endif
 
-enabled_libs = [] # used to print summary at the end
-
 foreach l:libraries
     build = true
     reason = '<unknown reason>' # set if build == false to explain why
@@ -123,10 +114,21 @@  foreach l:libraries
         deps += ['eal']
     endif
 
-    if disabled_libs.contains(l)
-        build = false
-        reason = 'explicitly disabled via build config'
+    if optional_libs.contains(l)
+        # check for enabled libraries only if one is set in config
+        if enable_libs.length() != 0 and not enable_libs.contains(l)
+            build = false
+            reason = 'not in enabled libraries build config'
+        elif disable_libs.contains(l)
+            build = false
+            reason = 'explicitly disabled via build config'
+        endif
     else
+        if disable_libs.contains(l)
+            warning('Cannot disable mandatory library "@0@"'.format(l))
+        endif
+    endif
+    if build
         subdir(l)
     endif
     if name != l
@@ -150,7 +152,7 @@  foreach l:libraries
         static_deps += [get_variable('static_rte_' + d)]
     endforeach
 
-    enabled_libs += name
+    dpdk_libs_enabled += name
     dpdk_conf.set('RTE_LIB_' + name.to_upper(), 1)
     install_headers(headers)
     install_headers(indirect_headers)
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 12cb6e0e83..65855ceee8 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@  dpdk_driver_classes = []
 dpdk_drivers = []
 dpdk_extra_ldflags = []
 dpdk_libs_disabled = []
+dpdk_libs_enabled = []
 dpdk_drvs_disabled = []
 abi_version_file = files('ABI_VERSION')
 
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@  subdir('buildtools/pkg-config')
 output_message = '\n=================\nLibraries Enabled\n=================\n'
 output_message += '\nlibs:\n\t'
 output_count = 0
-foreach lib:enabled_libs
+foreach lib:dpdk_libs_enabled
     output_message += lib + ', '
     output_count += 1
     if output_count == 8
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 7c220ad68d..ccb92cff7a 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@  option('enable_docs', type: 'boolean', value: false, description:
        'build documentation')
 option('enable_drivers', type: 'string', value: '', description:
        'Comma-separated list of drivers to build. If unspecified, build all drivers.')
+option('enable_libs', type: 'string', value: '', description:
+       'Comma-separated list of libraries to explicitly enable.')
 option('enable_driver_sdk', type: 'boolean', value: false, description:
        'Install headers to build drivers.')
 option('enable_kmods', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: