diff --git a/srcpkgs/pulseaudio/template b/srcpkgs/pulseaudio/template
index e9e48a87c8c..ddc0add3d5a 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/pulseaudio/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/pulseaudio/template
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ configure_args="--disable-oss-output --disable-oss-wrapper --disable-tcpwrap
  --with-bash-completion-dir=/usr/share/bash-completion/completions
  --enable-bluez5-native-headset"
 hostmakedepends="automake gettext libtool orc-devel perl-XML-Parser pkg-config"
-makedepends="avahi-libs-devel eudev-libudev-devel fftw-devel jack-devel
+makedepends="$(vopt_if avahi avahi-libs-devel) eudev-libudev-devel fftw-devel jack-devel
  libSM-devel libXtst-devel libasyncns-devel libbluetooth-devel
  libcap-devel libcap-progs libglib-devel libltdl-devel libressl-devel
  libsndfile-devel libsoxr-devel orc-devel sbc-devel speex-devel tdb-devel
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ system_accounts="pulse"
 pulse_groups="audio"
 pulse_homedir="/var/empty"
 
+build_options="avahi"
+build_options_default="avahi"
+
 if [ "$CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
 	hostmakedepends+=" glib"
 fi