diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 1f5c13fdb4..d6a3b25c43 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -555,7 +555,11 @@ libarchive = dependency('libarchive')
 # Check for debug console (Win32)
 
 if platform_windows
-  conf.set('ENABLE_WIN32_DEBUG_CONSOLE', get_option('win32-debug-console'))
+  enable_win32_debug_console = get_option('win32-debug-console').enabled() or \
+                               (get_option('win32-debug-console').auto() and (not stable or not release))
+  conf.set('ENABLE_WIN32_DEBUG_CONSOLE', enable_win32_debug_console)
+  # When we'll depend on meson >= 1.1.0, we can just use:
+  # conf.set('ENABLE_WIN32_DEBUG_CONSOLE', get_option('win32-debug-console').enable_auto_if(not stable or not release).enabled())
 endif
 
 ################################################################################
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 93b54178b0..7db3ccb73a 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Build properties
 option('ansi',              type: 'boolean', value: false,  description: 'Turn on strict ansi')
 option('enable-console-bin',type: 'boolean', value: true,   description: 'Build a console-only binary which does not link GTK')
-option('win32-debug-console',type:'boolean', value: true,   description: 'Open a console when starting the program')
+option('win32-debug-console',type:'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'Open a console when starting the program')
 option('enable-multiproc',  type: 'boolean', value: true,   description: 'Support for multiple processors')
 option('profiling',         type: 'boolean', value: false,  description: 'Enable profiling')
 option('windows-installer', type: 'boolean', value: false,  description: 'Generate files needed for the Inno Windows installer')