diff --git a/config/meson.build b/config/meson.build
index d8223718e4..3d53659c2e 100644
--- a/config/meson.build
+++ b/config/meson.build
@@ -317,6 +317,7 @@ if get_option('mbuf_refcnt_atomic')
     dpdk_conf.set('RTE_MBUF_REFCNT_ATOMIC', true)
 endif
 dpdk_conf.set10('RTE_IOVA_IN_MBUF', get_option('enable_iova_as_pa'))
+dpdk_conf.set('RTE_MAX_MEMSEG_LISTS', get_option('max_memseg_lists'))
 
 compile_time_cpuflags = []
 subdir(arch_subdir)
diff --git a/config/rte_config.h b/config/rte_config.h
index 400e44e3cf..3c24705a58 100644
--- a/config/rte_config.h
+++ b/config/rte_config.h
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 
 /* EAL defines */
 #define RTE_MAX_HEAPS 32
-#define RTE_MAX_MEMSEG_LISTS 128
 #define RTE_MAX_MEMSEG_PER_LIST 8192
 #define RTE_MAX_MEM_MB_PER_LIST 32768
 #define RTE_MAX_MEMSEG_PER_TYPE 32768
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 82c8297065..5fd8c2e9bc 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ option('enable_iova_as_pa', type: 'boolean', value: true, description:
        'Support the use of physical addresses for IO addresses, such as used by UIO or VFIO in no-IOMMU mode. When disabled, DPDK can only run with IOMMU support for address mappings, but will have more space available in the mbuf structure.')
 option('mbuf_refcnt_atomic', type: 'boolean', value: true, description:
        'Atomically access the mbuf refcnt.')
+option('max_memseg_lists', type: 'integer', value: 128, description:
+       'maximum number of dynamic arrays holding memsegs')
 option('platform', type: 'string', value: 'native', description:
        'Platform to build, either "native", "generic" or a SoC. Please refer to the Linux build guide for more information.')
 option('enable_trace_fp', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: