diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index b2515076..ab488832 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -134,8 +134,9 @@ if fftw_dep.found()
 endif
 
 # We can simplify this when requiring meson>=0.60.0
-magick_dep = dependency('MagickCore', required: false)
+magick_dep = dependency(get_option('magick-package'), required: false)
 if not magick_dep.found()
+    # very old versions called it "ImageMagick"
     magick_dep = dependency('ImageMagick', required: get_option('magick'))
 endif
 if not get_option('magick').disabled() and magick_dep.found()
@@ -146,7 +147,9 @@ if not get_option('magick').disabled() and magick_dep.found()
     endif
     if magick_dep.version().version_compare('>=7.0')
         cfg_var.set('HAVE_MAGICK7', '1')
-    elif magick_dep.version().version_compare('>=6.0')
+    else
+        # come here for imagemagick6, and graphicsmagick1.x, which also uses 
+        # the im6 API
         cfg_var.set('HAVE_MAGICK6', '1')
         if cc.has_member('struct _ImageInfo', 'number_scenes', prefix : '#include <magick/api.h>', dependencies: magick_dep)
             cfg_var.set('HAVE_NUMBER_SCENES', '1')
@@ -167,8 +170,6 @@ if not get_option('magick').disabled() and magick_dep.found()
         if cc.compiles('#include <magick/api.h>\nint main() {(void)GetImageMagick(NULL, 0, NULL);}', name: 'GetImageMagick takes three arguments', dependencies: magick_dep)
             cfg_var.set('HAVE_GETIMAGEMAGICK3', '1')
         endif
-    else
-        error('Unsupported libmagick version')
     endif
 
     if 'load' in get_option('magick-features')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 42c5a045..6174e0be 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ option('jpeg-xl', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', description: 'Build with lib
 option('jpeg-xl-module', type : 'boolean', value : false, description: 'Build libjxl as module')
 option('lcms', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', description: 'Build with lcms2')
 option('magick', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', description: 'Build with libMagic')
+option('magick-package', type : 'string', value : 'MagickCore', description: 'ImageMagick package to build with')
 option('magick-features', type : 'array', choices : ['load', 'save'], value : ['load', 'save'], description: 'Enable libMagic load or save capabilities')
 option('magick-module', type : 'boolean', value : false, description: 'Build libMagic as module')
 option('matio', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', description: 'Build with matio')