diff --git a/config/common_base b/config/common_base
index 3cd702e..f456f95 100644
--- a/config/common_base
+++ b/config/common_base
@@ -480,8 +480,9 @@ CONFIG_RTE_DPAA_SEC_PMD_MAX_NB_SESSIONS=2048
 
 #
 # Compile PMD for QuickAssist based devices
-#
-CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT=n
+# This QAT flag causes crypto QAT PMD to build,
+# but only if libcrypto is installed.
+CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT=y
 #
 # Max. number of QuickAssist devices, which can be detected and attached
 #
diff --git a/doc/guides/cryptodevs/qat.rst b/doc/guides/cryptodevs/qat.rst
index 77f8362..fa23a56 100644
--- a/doc/guides/cryptodevs/qat.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/cryptodevs/qat.rst
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ Limitations
 Installation
 ------------
 
-To enable QAT in DPDK, follow the instructions for modifying the compile-time
+QAT PMD is enabled by default in DPDK, but depends on libcrypto. If this library is detected
+the driver will be enabled and compiled.
+
+To setup QAT in DPDK, follow the instructions for modifying the compile-time
 configuration file as described `here <http://dpdk.org/doc/guides/linux_gsg/build_dpdk.html>`_.
 
 Quick instructions are as follows:
@@ -80,9 +83,11 @@ Quick instructions are as follows:
 
 	cd to the top-level DPDK directory
 	make config T=x86_64-native-linuxapp-gcc
-	sed -i 's,\(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT\)=n,\1=y,' build/.config
 	make
 
+.. Note::
+    To libcrypto detection - pkg_config is needed and should be installed in the system.
+
 To use the DPDK QAT PMD an SRIOV-enabled QAT kernel driver is required. The VF
 devices exposed by this driver will be used by the QAT PMD. The devices and
 available kernel drivers and device ids are :
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/qat/Makefile b/drivers/crypto/qat/Makefile
index 64f39fd..77700b4 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/qat/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/crypto/qat/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 
 include $(RTE_SDK)/mk/rte.vars.mk
 
+# libcrypto detection
+LIBCRYPTO := $(shell pkg-config --exists libcrypto 1>&2 2> /dev/null; echo $$?)
+
 # library name
 LIB = librte_pmd_qat.a
 
@@ -15,19 +18,24 @@ CFLAGS += -O3
 
 # external library include paths
 CFLAGS += -I$(SRCDIR)/qat_adf
-LDLIBS += -lcrypto
-LDLIBS += -lrte_eal -lrte_mbuf -lrte_mempool -lrte_ring
-LDLIBS += -lrte_cryptodev
-LDLIBS += -lrte_pci -lrte_bus_pci
 
-# library source files
-SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT) += qat_sym.c
-SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT) += qat_device.c
-SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT) += qat_qp.c
-SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT) += qat_sym_session.c
-SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT) += qat_common.c
-SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT) += qat_logs.c
-SRCS-$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_PMD_QAT) += qat_sym_pmd.c
+# library common source files
+SRCS-y += qat_device.c
+SRCS-y += qat_common.c
+SRCS-y += qat_logs.c
+SRCS-y += qat_qp.c
+
+ifeq ($(LIBCRYPTO),0)
+	LDLIBS += -lrte_cryptodev
+	LDLIBS += -lcrypto
+	CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_LIBCRYPTO_QAT
+	SRCS-y += qat_sym.c
+	SRCS-y += qat_sym_session.c
+	SRCS-y += qat_sym_pmd.c
+endif
+
+LDLIBS += -lrte_eal -lrte_mbuf -lrte_mempool
+LDLIBS += -lrte_pci -lrte_bus_pci
 
 # export include files
 SYMLINK-y-include +=
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/qat/meson.build b/drivers/crypto/qat/meson.build
index 6d01dac..c96486a 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/qat/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/crypto/qat/meson.build
@@ -2,15 +2,18 @@
 # Copyright(c) 2017-2018 Intel Corporation
 
 dep = dependency('libcrypto', required: false)
-if not dep.found()
-	build = false
-endif
+
 sources = files('qat_common.c',
 		'qat_qp.c',
 		'qat_device.c',
-		'qat_logs.c',
-		'qat_sym_pmd.c', 'qat_sym.c', 'qat_sym_session.c')
+		'qat_logs.c')
+
+if dep.found()
+	sources += files('qat_sym_pmd.c', 'qat_sym.c', 'qat_sym_session.c')
+	pkgconfig_extra_libs += '-lcrypto'
+	cflags += '-DCONFIG_LIBCRYPTO_QAT'
+endif
+
 includes += include_directories('qat_adf')
 deps += ['bus_pci']
 ext_deps += dep
-pkgconfig_extra_libs += '-lcrypto'
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/qat/qat_sym.h b/drivers/crypto/qat/qat_sym.h
index f9e72a6..3c8ec5b 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/qat/qat_sym.h
+++ b/drivers/crypto/qat/qat_sym.h
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 #include <rte_cryptodev_pmd.h>
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_LIBCRYPTO_QAT
+
 #include <openssl/evp.h>
 
 #include "qat_common.h"
@@ -153,4 +155,11 @@ qat_sym_process_response(void **op, uint8_t *resp)
 	}
 	*op = (void *)rx_op;
 }
+#else
+
+static inline void
+qat_sym_process_response(void **op __rte_unused, uint8_t *resp __rte_unused)
+{
+}
+#endif
 #endif /* _QAT_SYM_H_ */
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/qat/qat_sym_pmd.h b/drivers/crypto/qat/qat_sym_pmd.h
index 80a1987..641cc4b 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/qat/qat_sym_pmd.h
+++ b/drivers/crypto/qat/qat_sym_pmd.h
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 #ifndef _QAT_SYM_PMD_H_
 #define _QAT_SYM_PMD_H_
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_LIBCRYPTO_QAT
+
+
 #include <rte_cryptodev.h>
 
 #include "qat_sym_capabilities.h"
@@ -37,4 +40,6 @@ qat_sym_dev_create(struct qat_pci_device *qat_pci_dev);
 
 int
 qat_sym_dev_destroy(struct qat_pci_device *qat_pci_dev);
+
+#endif
 #endif /* _QAT_SYM_PMD_H_ */
