diff --git a/libs/backends/jack/wscript b/libs/backends/jack/wscript
index 6b44611ae9..17c786766f 100644
--- a/libs/backends/jack/wscript
+++ b/libs/backends/jack/wscript
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ def configure(conf):
     else:
         conf.env['libjack_link'] = "link"
 
+    if not Options.options.libjack_meta:
+        conf.define ('NO_JACK_METADATA', 1)
+
 
 def build(bld):
     obj = bld(features = 'c cxx cxxshlib')
@@ -62,7 +65,6 @@ def build(bld):
 
     if (bld.env['build_target'] == 'mingw'):
         obj.uselib   = [ 'PORTAUDIO' ]
-        obj.defines += [ 'NO_JACK_METADATA' ] # TODO bug stephane to at least update the headers
     else:
         obj.uselib   = [ ]
 
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index fa24b23276..5e9b30b6c6 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -597,6 +597,8 @@ def options(opt):
                     help='Compile for use with gprofile')
     opt.add_option('--libjack', type='string', default="auto", dest='libjack_link',
                     help='libjack link mode  [auto|link|weak]')
+    opt.add_option('--no-jack-metadata', action='store_false', default=True, dest='libjack_meta',
+                    help='disable support for jack metadata')
     opt.add_option('--internal-shared-libs', action='store_true', default=True, dest='internal_shared_libs',
                    help='Build internal libs as shared libraries')
     opt.add_option('--internal-static-libs', action='store_false', dest='internal_shared_libs',
@@ -1037,6 +1039,7 @@ const char* const ardour_config_info = "\\n\\
     write_config_text('Freedesktop files',     opts.freedesktop)
     write_config_text('JACK Backend',          conf.env['BUILD_JACKBACKEND'])
     write_config_text('Libjack linking',       conf.env['libjack_link'])
+    write_config_text('Libjack metadata',      not conf.is_defined('NO_JACK_METADATA'))
     write_config_text('LV2 UI embedding',      conf.is_defined('HAVE_SUIL'))
     write_config_text('LV2 support',           conf.is_defined('LV2_SUPPORT'))
     write_config_text('LXVST support',         conf.is_defined('LXVST_SUPPORT'))