diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 87d65edb2..70031faf7 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -432,6 +432,13 @@ summary({'lilv (for lv2 plugins)': lilv_lib.found()}, bool_yn: true)
 libffado_dep = dependency('libffado', required: get_option('libffado'))
 summary({'ffado': libffado_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true)
 
+
+jack_dep = dependency('', required: false)
+if not get_option('jack-link-pipewire-jack').allowed()
+  jack_dep = dependency('jack', version : '>= 1.9.10', required: get_option('jack'))
+  summary({'JACK2': jack_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true, section: 'Backend')
+endif
+
 check_functions = [
   ['gettid', '#include <unistd.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE'], []],
   ['memfd_create', '#include <sys/mman.h>', ['-D_GNU_SOURCE'], []],
@@ -476,6 +483,11 @@ configure_file(output : 'config.h',
 if get_option('pipewire-jack').allowed()
   subdir('pipewire-jack')
 endif
+
+if jack_dep.found()
+  subdir('spa/plugins/jack')
+endif
+
 if get_option('pipewire-v4l2').allowed()
   subdir('pipewire-v4l2')
 endif
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 3344b6244..8c3567d29 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -148,6 +148,10 @@ option('jack',
        description: 'Enable jack spa plugin integration',
        type: 'feature',
        value: 'auto')
+option('jack-link-pipewire-jack',
+       description: 'Link jack spa plugin against pipewire-jack',
+       type: 'feature',
+       value: 'disabled')
 option('support',
        description: 'Enable support spa plugin integration',
        type: 'feature',
diff --git a/pipewire-jack/src/meson.build b/pipewire-jack/src/meson.build
index def7746af..69a076e02 100644
--- a/pipewire-jack/src/meson.build
+++ b/pipewire-jack/src/meson.build
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ pipewire_jack = shared_library('jack',
     install_dir : libjack_path,
 )
 
+if get_option('jack-link-pipewire-jack').allowed()
+  jack_dep = declare_dependency(
+    include_directories: [jack_inc],
+    link_with: [pipewire_jack],
+  )
+endif
+
 pipewire_jackserver = shared_library('jackserver',
     pipewire_jackserver_sources,
     soversion : soversion,
diff --git a/spa/meson.build b/spa/meson.build
index 27cdd2113..ee4266324 100644
--- a/spa/meson.build
+++ b/spa/meson.build
@@ -85,8 +85,6 @@ if get_option('spa-plugins').allowed()
       summary({'ModemManager': mm_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true, section: 'Bluetooth backends')
     endif
   endif
-  jack_dep = dependency('jack', version : '>= 1.9.10', required: get_option('jack'))
-  summary({'JACK2': jack_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true, section: 'Backend')
 
   have_vulkan = false
   vulkan_dep = dependency('vulkan', version : '>= 1.2.170', required: get_option('vulkan'))
diff --git a/spa/plugins/meson.build b/spa/plugins/meson.build
index 210004691..a879ae715 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/meson.build
+++ b/spa/plugins/meson.build
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@ endif
 if avcodec_dep.found()
   subdir('ffmpeg')
 endif
-if jack_dep.found()
-  subdir('jack')
-endif
 if get_option('support').allowed()
   subdir('support')
 endif
diff --git a/src/modules/meson.build b/src/modules/meson.build
index a60b85eee..e74e30c98 100644
--- a/src/modules/meson.build
+++ b/src/modules/meson.build
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ pipewire_module_echo_cancel = shared_library('pipewire-module-echo-cancel',
   dependencies : [mathlib, dl_lib, pipewire_dep, audioconvert_dep],
 )
 
-build_module_jack_tunnel = jack_dep.found()
+build_module_jack_tunnel = get_option('jack').allowed()
 if build_module_jack_tunnel
   pipewire_module_jack_tunnel = shared_library('pipewire-module-jack-tunnel',
     [ 'module-jack-tunnel.c' ],