diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 8e46e9133f2..dd3024c07db 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
 # USE_SYSTEM_LIB_UTF8PROC = 1
 # USE_SYSTEM_LIB_GLM = 1
 # USE_SYSTEM_LIB_RAPIDJSON = 1
+# USE_SYSTEM_LIB_PUGIXML = 1
 
 # MESA_INSTALL_ROOT = /opt/mesa
 # SDL_INSTALL_ROOT = /opt/sdl2
@@ -480,6 +481,10 @@ ifdef USE_SYSTEM_LIB_RAPIDJSON
 PARAMS += --with-system-rapidjson='$(USE_SYSTEM_LIB_RAPIDJSON)'
 endif
 
+ifdef USE_SYSTEM_LIB_PUGIXML
+PARAMS += --with-system-pugixml='$(USE_SYSTEM_LIB_PUGIXML)'
+endif
+
 # reverse logic for this one
 
 ifdef USE_BUNDLED_LIB_SDL2
diff --git a/scripts/extlib.lua b/scripts/extlib.lua
index e3f7168fe38..a1fa4f5eb9d 100644
--- a/scripts/extlib.lua
+++ b/scripts/extlib.lua
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ local extlibs = {
 	utf8proc   = { "utf8proc",  "3rdparty/utf8proc" },
 	glm        = { "glm",       "3rdparty/glm" },
 	rapidjson  = { "rapidjson", "3rdparty/rapidjson/include" },
+	pugixml    = { "pugixml",   "3rdparty/pugixml/src" },
 }
 
 -- system lib options
@@ -81,6 +82,11 @@ newoption {
 	description = "Use system rapidjson library",
 }
 
+newoption {
+	trigger = "with-system-pugixml",
+	description = "Use system pugixml library",
+}
+
 -- build helpers
 function ext_lib(lib)
 	local opt = _OPTIONS["with-system-" .. lib]
diff --git a/scripts/genie.lua b/scripts/genie.lua
index ad7018ed5c8..9338567cb54 100644
--- a/scripts/genie.lua
+++ b/scripts/genie.lua
@@ -671,6 +671,16 @@ if not _OPTIONS["with-system-flac"]~=nil then
 	}
 end
 
+if not _OPTIONS["with-system-pugixml"] then
+	defines {
+		"PUGIXML_HEADER_ONLY",
+	}
+else
+	links {
+		ext_lib("pugixml"),
+	}
+end
+
 if _OPTIONS["NOASM"]=="1" then
 	defines {
 		"MAME_NOASM"
diff --git a/scripts/src/emu.lua b/scripts/src/emu.lua
index 88af75653c8..cc281b6a8c3 100644
--- a/scripts/src/emu.lua
+++ b/scripts/src/emu.lua
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ includedirs {
 	ext_includedir("flac"),
 	ext_includedir("jpeg"),
 	ext_includedir("rapidjson"),
+	ext_includedir("pugixml"),
 }
 
 files {
diff --git a/src/emu/hashfile.cpp b/src/emu/hashfile.cpp
index 0d540f6f1ec..6ded9a0e397 100644
--- a/src/emu/hashfile.cpp
+++ b/src/emu/hashfile.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@
 #include "emuopts.h"
 #include "hash.h"
 #include "drivenum.h"
-#define PUGIXML_HEADER_ONLY
-#include "pugixml/src/pugixml.hpp"
+#include <pugixml.hpp>
 
 /*-------------------------------------------------
     hashfile_lookup