diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 509ab07c..b21355ea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
 
           # Statically link to libstdc++ on Ubuntu 18.04 as we're compiling
           # with a newer version of g++ than what's in the default repos
-          meson setup --buildtype=release --cross-file cross-wine.conf -Duse-bitbridge=true  -Dcpp_link_args='-static-libstdc++' -Dbuild.cpp_link_args='-static-libstdc++' build
+          meson setup --buildtype=release --cross-file cross-wine.conf -Dwith-static-boost=true -Duse-bitbridge=true  -Dcpp_link_args='-static-libstdc++' -Dbuild.cpp_link_args='-static-libstdc++' build
           ninja -C build
       - name: Create an archive for the binaries
         run: |
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p /tmp/prefix
           export WINEPREFIX=/tmp/prefix
 
-          meson setup --buildtype=release --cross-file cross-wine.conf -Duse-bitbridge=true build
+          meson setup --buildtype=release --cross-file cross-wine.conf -Dwith-static-boost=true -Duse-bitbridge=true build
           ninja -C build
       - name: Create an archive for the binaries
         run: |
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8b4e83d6..4d4e06c5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- When building from source, only statically link Boost when the
+  `with-static-boost` option is enabled.
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - Fixed plugin group socket name generation. This prevented plugin groups with
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 67a2715d..3c16f167 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -46,8 +46,13 @@ subdir('src/common/config')
 
 # Statically link against Boost.Filesystem, otherwise it would become impossible
 # to distribute a prebuilt version of yabridge
-boost_dep = dependency('boost', version : '>=1.66', static : true)
-boost_filesystem_dep = dependency('boost', version : '>=1.66', modules : ['filesystem'], static : true)
+boost_dep = dependency('boost', version : '>=1.66', static : get_option('with-static-boost'))
+boost_filesystem_dep = dependency(
+  'boost',
+  version : '>=1.66',
+  modules : ['filesystem'],
+  static : get_option('with-static-boost')
+)
 bitsery_dep = subproject('bitsery').get_variable('bitsery_dep')
 threads_dep = dependency('threads')
 tomlplusplus_dep = subproject('tomlplusplus').get_variable('tomlplusplus_dep')
@@ -148,7 +153,7 @@ if get_option('use-bitbridge')
   winegcc = meson.get_compiler('cpp', native : false)
   boost_filesystem_dep = winegcc.find_library(
     'boost_filesystem',
-    static : true,
+    static : get_option('with-static-boost'),
     dirs : [
       # Used by Arch based distros
       '/usr/local/lib32',
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 3ec087c3..6737ca1a 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# TODO: For the next major or minor release, deprecate these `use-*` flags and
+#       replace them with `with-*` variants.
+
 option(
   'use-bitbridge',
   type : 'boolean',
@@ -5,6 +8,13 @@ option(
   description : 'Build a 32-bit host application for hosting 32-bit plugins. See the readme for full instructions on how to use this.'
 )
 
+option(
+  'with-static-boost',
+  type : 'boolean',
+  value : false,
+  description : 'Enable static linking for Boost. Needed when distributing the binaries to other systems.'
+)
+
 option(
   'use-winedbg',
   type : 'boolean',