diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 21a8705d0..f12b81442 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ rootfsmount = get_option('rootfs-mount-path')
 user_network_db_opt = get_option('usernet-db-path')
 user_network_conf_opt = get_option('usernet-config-path')
 
-bashcompletiondir = join_paths('/', 'usr', 'share', 'bash-completion', 'completions')
+bashcompletiondir = join_paths(prefixdir, get_option('datadir'), 'bash-completion', 'completions')
 bindir = join_paths(prefixdir, get_option('bindir'))
 datadir = join_paths(prefixdir, get_option('datadir'))
 mandir = join_paths(prefixdir, get_option('mandir'))
@@ -123,22 +123,6 @@ conf.set('PACKAGE_VERSION', meson.project_version())
 conf.set('RUNTIME_PATH', runtimepath)
 conf.set('SYSCONFDIR', sysconfdir)
 
-# Set sysconfdir
-fs = import('fs')
-distrosysconfdir = get_option('distrosysconfdir')
-if distrosysconfdir != ''
-    distrosysconfdir = join_paths(sysconfdir, distrosysconfdir)
-    conf.set('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF', distrosysconfdir)
-elif fs.is_dir('/etc/sysconfig')
-    distrosysconfdir = join_paths(sysconfdir, 'sysconfig')
-    conf.set('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF', distrosysconfdir)
-elif fs.is_dir('/etc/default')
-    distrosysconfdir = join_paths(sysconfdir, 'default')
-    conf.set('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF', distrosysconfdir)
-else
-    error('"distrosysconfdir" is not set')
-endif
-
 # Cross-compile on Android.
 srcconf.set10('IS_BIONIC', host_machine.system() == 'android')
 
@@ -148,6 +132,7 @@ coverity = get_option('coverity-build')
 init_script = get_option('init-script')
 sanitize = get_option('b_sanitize')
 want_examples = get_option('examples')
+want_install_init = get_option('install-init-files')
 want_io_uring = get_option('io-uring-event-loop')
 want_pam_cgroup = get_option('pam-cgroup')
 want_mans = get_option('man')
@@ -160,10 +145,30 @@ want_openssl = get_option('openssl')
 want_selinux = get_option('selinux')
 want_oss_fuzz = get_option('oss-fuzz')
 want_seccomp = get_option('seccomp')
+want_spec = get_option('specfile')
+want_state_dirs = get_option('install-state-dirs')
 want_thread_safety = get_option('thread-safety')
 want_memfd_rexec = get_option('memfd-rexec')
 want_sd_bus = get_option('sd-bus')
 
+# Set sysconfdir
+fs = import('fs')
+if want_install_init
+    distrosysconfdir = get_option('distrosysconfdir')
+    if distrosysconfdir != ''
+        distrosysconfdir = join_paths(sysconfdir, distrosysconfdir)
+        conf.set('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF', distrosysconfdir)
+    elif fs.is_dir('/etc/sysconfig')
+        distrosysconfdir = join_paths(sysconfdir, 'sysconfig')
+        conf.set('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF', distrosysconfdir)
+    elif fs.is_dir('/etc/default')
+        distrosysconfdir = join_paths(sysconfdir, 'default')
+        conf.set('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF', distrosysconfdir)
+    else
+        error('"distrosysconfdir" is not set')
+    endif
+endif
+
 srcconf.set_quoted('DEFAULT_CGROUP_PATTERN', cgrouppattern)
 if coverity
     srcconf.set('ENABLE_COVERITY_BUILD', 1)
@@ -926,14 +931,16 @@ if want_apparmor
 endif
 subdir('config/bash')
 subdir('config/etc')
-subdir('config/init/common')
-subdir('config/init/systemd')
-subdir('config/init/sysvinit')
-subdir('config/init/upstart')
+if want_install_init
+    subdir('config/init/common')
+    subdir('config/init/systemd')
+    subdir('config/init/sysvinit')
+    subdir('config/init/upstart')
+    subdir('config/sysconfig')
+endif
 if want_selinux
     subdir('config/selinux')
 endif
-subdir('config/sysconfig')
 subdir('config/templates')
 subdir('config/templates/common.conf.d')
 subdir('config/yum')
@@ -963,21 +970,25 @@ pkg_config_file = pkgconfig.generate(liblxc,
 )
 
 # Empty dirs.
-install_emptydir(join_paths(localstatedir, 'cache', 'lxc'))
-install_emptydir(join_paths(localstatedir, 'lib', 'lxc'))
+if want_state_dirs
+    install_emptydir(join_paths(localstatedir, 'cache', 'lxc'))
+    install_emptydir(join_paths(localstatedir, 'lib', 'lxc'))
+endif
 
 # RPM spec file.
-specconf = configuration_data()
-specconf.set('LXC_VERSION_BASE', meson.project_version())
-specconf.set('LXC_VERSION_BETA', version_data.get('LXC_VERSION_BETA'))
-specconf.set('PACKAGE', meson.project_name())
-specconf.set('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF', conf.get('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF'))
-
-configure_file(
-    configuration: specconf,
-    input: 'lxc.spec.in',
-    output: 'lxc.spec',
-    install: false)
+if want_spec
+    specconf = configuration_data()
+    specconf.set('LXC_VERSION_BASE', meson.project_version())
+    specconf.set('LXC_VERSION_BETA', version_data.get('LXC_VERSION_BETA'))
+    specconf.set('PACKAGE', meson.project_name())
+    specconf.set('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF', conf.get('LXC_DISTRO_SYSCONF'))
+
+    configure_file(
+        configuration: specconf,
+        input: 'lxc.spec.in',
+        output: 'lxc.spec',
+        install: false)
+endif
 
 # Build overview.
 status = [
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 9803473d2..84a6d45b5 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -120,3 +120,12 @@ option('memfd-rexec', type : 'boolean', value : 'true',
 
 option('distrosysconfdir', type : 'string', value: '',
        description: 'relative path to sysconfdir for distro default configuration')
+
+option('specfile', type : 'boolean', value: true,
+       description: 'whether to prepare RPM spec')
+
+option('install-init-files', type : 'boolean', value: true,
+       description: 'whether to install init files for local init (e.g. systemd, sysvinit)')
+
+option('install-state-dirs', type : 'boolean', value: true,
+       description: 'whether to create state directories on install')