--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -729,8 +729,11 @@
     fi
 
   # libhs
-    enable_hyperscan="no"
-
+    AC_ARG_ENABLE(hyperscan,
+           AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-hyperscan], [Enable high-performance regex matching with hyperscan]),
+           [enable_hyperscan=$enableval],
+           [enable_hyperscan=no])
+    if test "x$enable_hyperscan" != "xno"; then
     # Try pkg-config first:
     PKG_CHECK_MODULES([libhs], libhs,, [with_pkgconfig_libhs=no])
     if test "$with_pkgconfig_libhs" != "no"; then
@@ -765,6 +768,7 @@
             enable_hyperscan="no"
         fi
     fi
+    fi
     AS_IF([test "x$enable_hyperscan" = "xyes"], [AC_DEFINE([BUILD_HYPERSCAN], [1], [Intel Hyperscan support enabled])])
 
   # libyaml