diff --git a/configure b/configure
index aa7aae70fa1..e832f211dc6 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -207,6 +207,8 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --objcc=*) objcc="$optarg"
   ;;
+  --rustc=*) RUSTC="$optarg"
+  ;;
   --cpu=*) cpu="$optarg"
   ;;
   --extra-cflags=*)
@@ -252,6 +254,8 @@ python=
 download="enabled"
 skip_meson=no
 use_containers="yes"
+rust="disabled"
+rust_target_triple=""
 gdb_bin=$(command -v "gdb-multiarch" || command -v "gdb")
 gdb_arches=""
 
@@ -310,6 +314,7 @@ objcopy="${OBJCOPY-${cross_prefix}objcopy}"
 ld="${LD-${cross_prefix}ld}"
 ranlib="${RANLIB-${cross_prefix}ranlib}"
 nm="${NM-${cross_prefix}nm}"
+readelf="${READELF-${cross_prefix}readelf}"
 strip="${STRIP-${cross_prefix}strip}"
 widl="${WIDL-${cross_prefix}widl}"
 windres="${WINDRES-${cross_prefix}windres}"
@@ -317,6 +322,8 @@ windmc="${WINDMC-${cross_prefix}windmc}"
 pkg_config="${PKG_CONFIG-${cross_prefix}pkg-config}"
 sdl2_config="${SDL2_CONFIG-${cross_prefix}sdl2-config}"
 
+rustc="${RUSTC-rustc}"
+
 check_define() {
 cat > $TMPC <<EOF
 #if !defined($1)
@@ -425,6 +432,7 @@ fi
 # Please keep it sorted and synchronized with meson.build's host_arch.
 host_arch=
 linux_arch=
+raw_cpu=$cpu
 case "$cpu" in
   aarch64)
     host_arch=aarch64
@@ -658,6 +666,8 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --objcc=*)
   ;;
+  --rustc=*)
+  ;;
   --make=*)
   ;;
   --install=*)
@@ -777,8 +787,14 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --container-engine=*) container_engine="$optarg"
   ;;
+  --rust-target-triple=*) rust_target_triple="$optarg"
+  ;;
   --gdb=*) gdb_bin="$optarg"
   ;;
+  --enable-rust) rust=enabled
+  ;;
+  --disable-rust) rust=disabled
+  ;;
   # everything else has the same name in configure and meson
   --*) meson_option_parse "$opt" "$optarg"
   ;;
@@ -881,6 +897,7 @@ Advanced options (experts only):
                            at build time [$host_cc]
   --cxx=CXX                use C++ compiler CXX [$cxx]
   --objcc=OBJCC            use Objective-C compiler OBJCC [$objcc]
+  --rustc=RUSTC            use Rust compiler RUSTC [$rustc]
   --extra-cflags=CFLAGS    append extra C compiler flags CFLAGS
   --extra-cxxflags=CXXFLAGS append extra C++ compiler flags CXXFLAGS
   --extra-objcflags=OBJCFLAGS append extra Objective C compiler flags OBJCFLAGS
@@ -891,8 +908,9 @@ Advanced options (experts only):
   --python=PYTHON          use specified python [$python]
   --ninja=NINJA            use specified ninja [$ninja]
   --static                 enable static build [$static]
-  --without-default-features default all --enable-* options to "disabled"
-  --without-default-devices  do not include any device that is not needed to
+  --rust-target-triple=TRIPLE  compilation target for Rust code [autodetect]
+  --without-default-features   default all --enable-* options to "disabled"
+  --without-default-devices    do not include any device that is not needed to
                            start the emulator (only use if you are including
                            desired devices in configs/devices/)
   --with-devices-ARCH=NAME override default configs/devices
@@ -1166,6 +1184,132 @@ EOF
   fi
 fi
 
+##########################################
+# detect rust triple
+
+if test "$rust" != disabled && has "$rustc" && $rustc -vV > "${TMPDIR1}/${TMPB}.out"; then
+  rust_host_triple=$(sed -n 's/^host: //p' "${TMPDIR1}/${TMPB}.out")
+else
+  if test "$rust" = enabled; then
+    error_exit "could not execute rustc binary \"$rustc\""
+  fi
+  rust=disabled
+fi
+if test "$rust" != disabled && test -z "$rust_target_triple"; then
+  # arch and os generally matches between meson and rust
+  rust_arch=$host_arch
+  rust_os=$host_os
+  rust_machine=unknown
+  rust_osvariant=
+
+  # tweak rust_os if needed; also, machine and variant depend on the OS
+  android=no
+  case "$host_os" in
+  darwin)
+    # e.g. aarch64-apple-darwin
+    rust_machine=apple
+    ;;
+
+  linux)
+    # detect android/glibc/musl
+    if check_define __ANDROID__; then
+      rust_osvariant=android
+      android=yes
+    else
+      cat > $TMPC << EOF
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <features.h>
+#ifndef __USE_GNU
+error using musl
+#endif
+EOF
+      if compile_object; then
+        rust_osvariant=gnu
+      else
+        rust_osvariant=musl
+      fi
+    fi
+
+    case "$host_arch" in
+    arm)
+      # e.g. arm-unknown-linux-gnueabi, arm-unknown-linux-gnueabihf
+      write_c_skeleton
+      compile_object
+      if $READELF -A $TMPO | grep Tag_API_VFP_args: > /dev/null; then
+        rust_osvariant=${rust_osvariant}eabihf
+      else
+        rust_osvariant=${rust_osvariant}eabi
+      fi
+      ;;
+
+    mips64)
+      # e.g. mips64-unknown-linux-gnuabi64
+      rust_osvariant=${rust_osvariant}abi64
+      ;;
+    esac
+    ;;
+
+  netbsd)
+    # e.g. arm-unknown-netbsd-eabihf
+    test "$host_arch" = arm && rust_osvariant=eabihf
+    ;;
+
+  sunos)
+    rust_machine=pc
+    rust_os=solaris
+    ;;
+
+  windows)
+    # e.g. aarch64-pc-windows-gnullvm, x86_64-pc-windows-gnu (MSVC not supported)
+    rust_machine=pc
+    if test "$host_arch" = aarch64; then
+      rust_osvariant=gnullvm
+    else
+      rust_osvariant=gnu
+    fi
+    ;;
+  esac
+
+  # now tweak the architecture part, possibly based on pre-canonicalization --cpu
+  case "$host_arch" in
+  arm)
+    # preserve ISA version (armv7 etc.) from $raw_cpu if passed via --cpu
+    rust_arch=$raw_cpu
+    test "$rust_arch" = arm && test "$rust_os" != linux && rust_arch=armv7
+    ;;
+
+  mips|mips64)
+    # preserve ISA version (mipsisa64r6 etc.) and include endianness
+    rust_arch=${raw_cpu%el}
+    test "$bigendian" = no && rust_arch=${rust_arch}el
+    ;;
+
+  riscv32|riscv64)
+    # e.g. riscv64gc-unknown-linux-gnu, but riscv64-linux-android
+    test "$android" = no && rust_arch=${rust_arch}gc
+    ;;
+
+  sparc64)
+    if test "$rust_os" = solaris; then
+      rust_arch=sparcv9
+      rust_machine=sun
+    fi
+    ;;
+
+  x86_64)
+    # e.g. x86_64-unknown-linux-gnux32
+    test "$raw_cpu" = x32 && rust_osvariant=${rust_osvariant}x32
+    ;;
+  esac
+
+  if test "$android" = yes; then
+    # e.g. aarch64-linux-android
+    rust_target_triple=$rust_arch-$rust_os-$rust_osvariant
+  else
+    rust_target_triple=$rust_arch-$rust_machine-$rust_os${rust_osvariant:+-$rust_osvariant}
+  fi
+fi
+
 ##########################################
 # functions to probe cross compilers
 
@@ -1628,6 +1772,9 @@ if test "$container" != no; then
     echo "RUNC=$runc" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 echo "SUBDIRS=$subdirs" >> $config_host_mak
+if test "$rust" != disabled; then
+  echo "RUST_TARGET_TRIPLE=$rust_target_triple" >> $config_host_mak
+fi
 echo "PYTHON=$python" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "MKVENV_ENSUREGROUP=$mkvenv ensuregroup $mkvenv_online_flag" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "GENISOIMAGE=$genisoimage" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -1764,12 +1911,20 @@ if test "$skip_meson" = no; then
   echo "c = [$(meson_quote $cc $CPU_CFLAGS)]" >> $cross
   test -n "$cxx" && echo "cpp = [$(meson_quote $cxx $CPU_CFLAGS)]" >> $cross
   test -n "$objcc" && echo "objc = [$(meson_quote $objcc $CPU_CFLAGS)]" >> $cross
+  if test "$rust" != disabled; then
+    if test "$rust_host_triple" != "$rust_target_triple"; then
+      echo "rust = [$(meson_quote $rustc --target "$rust_target_triple")]" >> $cross
+    else
+      echo "rust = [$(meson_quote $rustc)]" >> $cross
+    fi
+  fi
   echo "ar = [$(meson_quote $ar)]" >> $cross
   echo "dlltool = [$(meson_quote $dlltool)]" >> $cross
   echo "nm = [$(meson_quote $nm)]" >> $cross
   echo "pkgconfig = [$(meson_quote $pkg_config)]" >> $cross
   echo "pkg-config = [$(meson_quote $pkg_config)]" >> $cross
   echo "ranlib = [$(meson_quote $ranlib)]" >> $cross
+  echo "readelf = [$(meson_quote $readelf)]" >> $cross
   if has $sdl2_config; then
     echo "sdl2-config = [$(meson_quote $sdl2_config)]" >> $cross
   fi
@@ -1799,6 +1954,9 @@ if test "$skip_meson" = no; then
     echo "# Automatically generated by configure - do not modify" > $native
     echo "[binaries]" >> $native
     echo "c = [$(meson_quote $host_cc)]" >> $native
+    if test "$rust" != disabled; then
+      echo "rust = [$(meson_quote $rustc)]" >> $cross
+    fi
     mv $native config-meson.native
     meson_option_add --native-file
     meson_option_add config-meson.native
@@ -1817,6 +1975,7 @@ if test "$skip_meson" = no; then
   test "$pie" = no && meson_option_add -Db_pie=false
 
   # QEMU options
+  test "$rust" != "auto" && meson_option_add "-Drust=$rust"
   test "$cfi" != false && meson_option_add "-Dcfi=$cfi" "-Db_lto=$cfi"
   test "$docs" != auto && meson_option_add "-Ddocs=$docs"
   test -n "${LIB_FUZZING_ENGINE+xxx}" && meson_option_add "-Dfuzzing_engine=$LIB_FUZZING_ENGINE"
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 93ddaef500f..f76f01f065f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -4325,8 +4325,9 @@ else
 endif
 summary_info += {'Rust support':      have_rust}
 if have_rust
-  summary_info += {'rustc version':      rustc.version()}
-  summary_info += {'rustc':      ' '.join(rustc.cmd_array())}
+  summary_info += {'rustc version':   rustc.version()}
+  summary_info += {'rustc':           ' '.join(rustc.cmd_array())}
+  summary_info += {'Rust target':     config_host['RUST_TARGET_TRIPLE']}
 endif
 option_cflags = (get_option('debug') ? ['-g'] : [])
 if get_option('optimization') != 'plain'
