diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index de300a8..2bb4574 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ $ ninja install
 ```
 
 By default, it will compile dynamic linked binaries.
-If you want statically linked binaries, you can add `--default-library=static`
+If you want statically linked binaries, you can add `-Dstatic-linkage=true`
 option to the meson command.
+Be aware that you must have static library dependencies installed on your
+system.
 
 Licensed as GPLv3 or later, see COPYING for more details.
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4ceaa0b..b47d6e7 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ project('kiwix-tools', 'cpp')
 
 compiler = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
 
+static_linkage = get_option('static-linkage')
+if static_linkage
+  add_global_link_arguments('-static-libstdc++', '--static', language:'cpp')
+endif
+
 thread_dep = dependency('threads')
 kiwixlib_dep = dependency('kiwix')
 microhttpd_dep = dependency('libmicrohttpd')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 886efcc..b8da3dc 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
+option('static-linkage', type : 'boolean', value : false,
+  description : 'Create statically linked binaries.')
 option('ctpp2-install-prefix', type : 'string', value : '',
   description : 'Prefix where ctpp libs has been installed')