diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index a3721575..3ec8a5fc 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -230,7 +230,9 @@ if not fmt_dep.found() or get_option('use-embedded-fmt')
     compile_args: '-DFMT_HEADER_ONLY')
 endif
 
-# use system's CLI11 if found, otherwise fall back to embedded version
+# use system's CLI11 if found, otherwise fall back to embedded version. we can
+# probably get away with a lower version, but want to have (roughly) the same in
+# embedded / system.
 cli11_dep = dependency('CLI11', version: '>=2.4', required:false)
 if not cli11_dep.found() or get_option('use-embedded-cli11')
   message('using embedded CLI11')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 1ef09b0f..fcffae7c 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ option('use-embedded-fmt',
        value: false,
        description: 'Use the embedded fmt, even if system package is found')
 
+option('use-embedded-cli11',
+       type: 'boolean',
+       value: false,
+       description: 'Use the embedded CLI11, even if system package is found')
+
 #
 # language detection
 #
diff --git a/mu/meson.build b/mu/meson.build
index 28dd00ed..ee2460d5 100644
--- a/mu/meson.build
+++ b/mu/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-## Copyright (C) 2021-2023 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+## Copyright (C) 2021-2025 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
 ##
 ## This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 ## it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ mu = executable(
   'mu-cmd-view.cc',
   'mu-cmd.cc'
 ],
-  dependencies: [ glib_dep, gmime_dep, lib_mu_dep, mu_scm_dep, thread_dep, config_h_dep ],
+  dependencies: [ glib_dep, gmime_dep, cli11_dep,
+                  lib_mu_dep, mu_scm_dep, thread_dep, config_h_dep ],
   cpp_args: ['-DMU_SCRIPTS_DIR="'+ join_paths(datadir, 'mu', 'scripts') + '"'],
   install: true)
 #
diff --git a/mu/mu-options.cc b/mu/mu-options.cc
index f9593a2c..91610282 100644
--- a/mu/mu-options.cc
+++ b/mu/mu-options.cc
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@
 #include "mu-options.hh"
 #include "mu-script.hh"
 
-#include <thirdparty/CLI11.hpp>
+#ifdef USE_EMBEDDED_CLI11
+#include "CLI11.hpp"
+#else
+#include "CLI/CLI.hpp"
+#endif
 
 using namespace Mu;
 
diff --git a/thirdparty/CLI11.hpp b/thirdparty/cli11/CLI11.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from thirdparty/CLI11.hpp
rename to thirdparty/cli11/CLI11.hpp