diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 63ff8fd0505..a218974a994 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -313,6 +313,10 @@ ifdef USE_QTDEBUG
 PARAMS += --USE_QTDEBUG='$(USE_QTDEBUG)'
 endif
 
+ifdef DIRECTINPUT
+PARAMS += --DIRECTINPUT='$(DIRECTINPUT)'
+endif
+
 ifdef MESA_INSTALL_ROOT
 PARAMS += --MESA_INSTALL_ROOT='$(MESA_INSTALL_ROOT)'
 endif
diff --git a/scripts/genie.lua b/scripts/genie.lua
index 4cbce4a281d..5ebbdd18873 100644
--- a/scripts/genie.lua
+++ b/scripts/genie.lua
@@ -721,7 +721,6 @@ end
 			"comctl32",
 			"shlwapi",
 			"wsock32",
-			"dinput8",
 			"comdlg32",
 		}
 
@@ -743,7 +742,6 @@ configuration { "vs*" }
 			"comctl32",
 			"shlwapi",
 			"wsock32",
-			"dinput8",
 			"comdlg32",
 		}
 
diff --git a/scripts/src/osd/windows.lua b/scripts/src/osd/windows.lua
index 7f02118b054..03d3948dd4f 100644
--- a/scripts/src/osd/windows.lua
+++ b/scripts/src/osd/windows.lua
@@ -8,6 +8,16 @@ function maintargetosdoptions(_target)
 		"-municode",
 	}
 
+	if _OPTIONS["DIRECTINPUT"] == "8" then
+		links {
+			"dinput8",
+		}
+	else
+		links {
+			"dinput",
+		}
+	end
+
 	local rcfile = MAME_DIR .. "src/" .. _target .. "/osd/windows/" .. _target ..".rc"
 
 	if os.isfile(rcfile) then
@@ -22,6 +32,20 @@ function maintargetosdoptions(_target)
 end
 
 
+newoption {
+	trigger = "DIRECTINPUT",
+	description = "Minimum DirectInput version to support",
+	allowed = {
+		{ "7",  "Support DirectInput 7 or later"  },
+		{ "8",  "Support DirectInput 8 or later" },
+	},
+}
+
+if not _OPTIONS["DIRECTINPUT"] then
+	_OPTIONS["DIRECTINPUT"] = "8"
+end
+
+
 project ("osd_" .. _OPTIONS["osd"])
 	uuid (os.uuid("osd_" .. _OPTIONS["osd"]))
 	kind "StaticLib"
@@ -30,10 +54,19 @@ project ("osd_" .. _OPTIONS["osd"])
 	osdmodulesbuild()
 
 	defines {
-		"DIRECTINPUT_VERSION=0x0800",
 		"DIRECT3D_VERSION=0x0900",
 	}
 
+	if _OPTIONS["DIRECTINPUT"] == "8" then
+		defines {
+			"DIRECTINPUT_VERSION=0x0800",
+		}
+	else
+		defines {
+			"DIRECTINPUT_VERSION=0x0700",
+		}
+	end
+
 	includedirs {
 		MAME_DIR .. "src/emu",
 		MAME_DIR .. "src/osd",