diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 728fa74626ea8..51aeed8e65145 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1497,18 +1497,28 @@ if dep_thread.found()
   endif
 endif
 
-# We don't have expat on Android or Windows, which is a needed dep for xmlconfig
-opt_xmlconfig = get_option('xmlconfig') \
-  .require(not (with_platform_android or with_platform_windows),
-           error_message : 'xmlconfig not available on Android or Windows')
+with_expat = get_option('expat') \
+  .disable_auto_if(with_platform_android or with_platform_windows)
 
 if host_machine.system() == 'darwin'
-  dep_expat = meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('expat', required : opt_xmlconfig)
+  dep_expat = meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('expat', required : with_expat)
 else
   dep_expat = dependency('expat', fallback : ['expat', 'expat_dep'],
-                         required : opt_xmlconfig)
+                         required : with_expat)
 endif
-use_xmlconfig = dep_expat.found()
+
+# TODO: with Meson 1.1.0 this can be replaced with with_expat.enable_if(with_intel_tools)
+if with_intel_tools and not dep_expat.found()
+  error('Intel tools require expat')
+endif
+
+# We don't require expat on Android or Windows
+use_xmlconfig = get_option('xmlconfig') \
+  .require(not (with_platform_android or with_platform_windows),
+           error_message : 'xmlconfig not available on Android or Windows') \
+  .require(dep_expat.found(),
+           error_message : 'requires expat') \
+  .allowed()
   
 # Predefined macros for windows
 if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 5984dc6d768ac..34a55ad709127 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ option(
                 'separated list. Default: dri-drivers-path.'
 )
 
+option(
+  'expat',
+  type : 'feature',
+  value : 'auto',
+  description : 'Controls the use of expat. ' +
+                'Cannot be disabled if xmlconfig is enabled.'
+)
+
 option(
   'gallium-drivers',
   type : 'array',
@@ -649,6 +657,7 @@ option(
                 'the default driconf file is hardcoded into Mesa. ' +
                 'Requires expat.'
 )
+
 option (
   'intel-xe-kmd',
   type : 'feature',
diff --git a/src/intel/common/meson.build b/src/intel/common/meson.build
index 0537de3614ac9..ad295ee188a89 100644
--- a/src/intel/common/meson.build
+++ b/src/intel/common/meson.build
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ files_batch_decoder = files(
 )
 
 batch_decoder_dependencies = []
-if with_platform_android
+if not dep_expat.found()
   files_libintel_common += 'intel_batch_decoder_stub.c'
 else
   batch_decoder_dependencies += dep_expat