diff --git a/.github/workflows/appimage-build.yml b/.github/workflows/appimage-build.yml
index 36e49518..ded95a3b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/appimage-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/appimage-build.yml
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ jobs:
             -Dtext-frontend=true \
             -Dwith-perl=perl \
             -Dwith-python=python3 \
-            -Dauto_features=enabled
+            -Dauto_features=enabled \
+            -Dappindicator=enabled
 
       - name: Build
         run: |
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index faa9f665..0bdf5051 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ option('dbus', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
 option('libcanberra', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
   description: 'Support for sound alerts, Unix only'
 )
+option('appindicator', type: 'feature', value: 'auto',
+  description: 'Use Ayatana/AppIndicator-based tray backend when GTK3 is enabled'
+)
 
 # Install options
 option('dbus-service-use-appid', type: 'boolean', value: false,
diff --git a/src/fe-gtk/meson.build b/src/fe-gtk/meson.build
index b66dfd73..65993c4e 100644
--- a/src/fe-gtk/meson.build
+++ b/src/fe-gtk/meson.build
@@ -40,15 +40,21 @@ if get_option('gtk3')
   zoitechat_gtk_cflags += '-DHAVE_GTK3'
 
   if host_machine.system() != 'windows'
-    appindicator_dep = dependency('ayatana-appindicator3-0.1', required: false)
-    if appindicator_dep.found()
-      zoitechat_gtk_deps += appindicator_dep
-      zoitechat_gtk_cflags += '-DHAVE_AYATANA_APPINDICATOR'
-    else
-      appindicator_dep = dependency('appindicator3-0.1', required: false)
+    appindicator_opt = get_option('appindicator')
+
+    if appindicator_opt.allowed()
+      appindicator_dep = dependency('ayatana-appindicator3-0.1', required: false)
       if appindicator_dep.found()
         zoitechat_gtk_deps += appindicator_dep
-        zoitechat_gtk_cflags += '-DHAVE_APPINDICATOR'
+        zoitechat_gtk_cflags += '-DHAVE_AYATANA_APPINDICATOR'
+      else
+        appindicator_dep = dependency('appindicator3-0.1', required: false)
+        if appindicator_dep.found()
+          zoitechat_gtk_deps += appindicator_dep
+          zoitechat_gtk_cflags += '-DHAVE_APPINDICATOR'
+        elif appindicator_opt.enabled()
+          error('appindicator=enabled, but neither ayatana-appindicator3-0.1 nor appindicator3-0.1 was found')
+        endif
       endif
     endif
   endif