diff --git a/.ci/linux-build.sh b/.ci/linux-build.sh
index 45f2729996..e0b62bac90 100755
--- a/.ci/linux-build.sh
+++ b/.ci/linux-build.sh
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ if [ "$MINI" = "true" ]; then
     OPTS="$OPTS -Denable_drivers=net/null"
     OPTS="$OPTS -Ddisable_libs=*"
 else
-    OPTS="$OPTS -Ddisable_libs="
+    OPTS="$OPTS -Denable_deprecated_libs=*"
 fi
 OPTS="$OPTS -Dlibdir=lib"
 
diff --git a/devtools/test-meson-builds.sh b/devtools/test-meson-builds.sh
index 84b907d2ea..c41659d28b 100755
--- a/devtools/test-meson-builds.sh
+++ b/devtools/test-meson-builds.sh
@@ -120,10 +120,10 @@ config () # <dir> <builddir> <meson options>
 		return
 	fi
 	options=
-	# deprecated libs may be disabled by default, so for complete builds ensure
-	# no libs are disabled
-	if ! echo $* | grep -q -- 'disable_libs' ; then
-		options="$options -Ddisable_libs="
+	# deprecated libs are disabled by default, so for complete builds
+	# enable them
+	if ! echo $* | grep -q -- 'enable_deprecated_libs' ; then
+		options="$options -Denable_deprecated_libs=*"
 	fi
 	if echo $* | grep -qw -- '--default-library=shared' ; then
 		options="$options -Dexamples=all"
diff --git a/doc/guides/prog_guide/flow_classify_lib.rst b/doc/guides/prog_guide/flow_classify_lib.rst
index ad2e10ec26..558a982e3b 100644
--- a/doc/guides/prog_guide/flow_classify_lib.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/prog_guide/flow_classify_lib.rst
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ Flow Classification Library
    See :doc:`../rel_notes/deprecation`.
 
    It is disabled by default in the DPDK build.
-   To re-enable the library, remove 'flow_classify' from the "disable_libs"
-   meson option when configuring a build.
+   To re-enable the library, tell meson to enable 'flow_classify' as part of
+   the deprecated libraries meson option
+   ``-Denable_deprecated_libs=flow_classify``.
 
 DPDK provides a Flow Classification library that provides the ability
 to classify an input packet by matching it against a set of Flow rules.
diff --git a/doc/guides/prog_guide/kernel_nic_interface.rst b/doc/guides/prog_guide/kernel_nic_interface.rst
index 392e5df75f..1097ecc695 100644
--- a/doc/guides/prog_guide/kernel_nic_interface.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/prog_guide/kernel_nic_interface.rst
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ Kernel NIC Interface
 .. note::
 
    KNI is disabled by default in the DPDK build.
-   To re-enable the library, remove 'kni' from the "disable_libs" meson option when configuring a build.
+   To re-enable the library, tell meson to enable 'kni' as part of the
+   deprecated libraries meson option ``-Denable_deprecated_libs=kni``.
 
 The DPDK Kernel NIC Interface (KNI) allows userspace applications access to the Linux* control plane.
 
diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
index 494b401cda..10ba03a71c 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/deprecation.rst
@@ -35,10 +35,6 @@ Deprecation Notices
     which also added support for standard atomics
     (Ref: https://releases.llvm.org/3.6.0/tools/clang/docs/ReleaseNotes.html)
 
-* build: Enabling deprecated libraries (``flow_classify``, ``kni``)
-  won't be possible anymore through the use of the ``disable_libs`` build option.
-  A new build option for deprecated libraries will be introduced instead.
-
 * kvargs: The function ``rte_kvargs_process`` will get a new parameter
   for returning key match count. It will ease handling of no-match case.
 
diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_23_11.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_23_11.rst
index 6b4dd21fd0..781b338101 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_23_11.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_23_11.rst
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ New Features
      Also, make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
      =======================================================
 
+* build: Enabling deprecated libraries (``flow_classify``, ``kni``) is now done
+  using the new ``enable_deprecated_libraries`` build option.
+
 
 Removed Items
 -------------
diff --git a/lib/meson.build b/lib/meson.build
index fac2f52cad..73afd90b38 100644
--- a/lib/meson.build
+++ b/lib/meson.build
@@ -93,6 +93,15 @@ dpdk_libs_deprecated += [
         'kni',
 ]
 
+enable_deprecated_libs = []
+foreach l:run_command(list_dir_globs, get_option('enable_deprecated_libs'),
+        check: true).stdout().split()
+    if not dpdk_libs_deprecated.contains(l)
+        continue
+    endif
+    enable_deprecated_libs += l
+endforeach
+
 disabled_libs = []
 opt_disabled_libs = run_command(list_dir_globs, get_option('disable_libs'),
         check: true).stdout().split()
@@ -137,16 +146,19 @@ foreach l:libraries
         deps += ['eal']
     endif
 
-    if disabled_libs.contains(l)
-        build = false
-        reason = 'explicitly disabled via build config'
-        if dpdk_libs_deprecated.contains(l)
-            reason += ' (deprecated lib)'
-        endif
-    else
-        if dpdk_libs_deprecated.contains(l)
+    if dpdk_libs_deprecated.contains(l)
+        if not enable_deprecated_libs.contains(l)
+            build = false
+            reason = 'not in enabled deprecated libraries build config'
+        else
             warning('Enabling deprecated library, "@0@"'.format(l))
         endif
+    elif disabled_libs.contains(l)
+        build = false
+        reason = 'explicitly disabled via build config'
+    endif
+
+    if build
         subdir(l)
     endif
     if name != l
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 82c8297065..839d4266c6 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ option('disable_apps', type: 'string', value: '', description:
        'Comma-separated list of apps to explicitly disable.')
 option('disable_drivers', type: 'string', value: '', description:
        'Comma-separated list of drivers to explicitly disable.')
-option('disable_libs', type: 'string', value: 'flow_classify,kni', description:
+option('disable_libs', type: 'string', value: '', description:
        'Comma-separated list of libraries to explicitly disable. [NOTE: not all libs can be disabled]')
 option('drivers_install_subdir', type: 'string', value: 'dpdk/pmds-<VERSION>', description:
        'Subdirectory of libdir where to install PMDs. Defaults to using a versioned subdirectory.')
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ option('enable_docs', type: 'boolean', value: false, description:
        'build documentation')
 option('enable_apps', type: 'string', value: '', description:
        'Comma-separated list of apps to build. If unspecified, build all apps.')
+option('enable_deprecated_libs', type: 'string', value: '', description:
+       'Comma-separated list of deprecated libraries to explicitly enable.')
 option('enable_drivers', type: 'string', value: '', description:
        'Comma-separated list of drivers to build. If unspecified, build all drivers.')
 option('enable_driver_sdk', type: 'boolean', value: false, description:
