diff --git a/src/libstore/meson.build b/src/libstore/meson.build
index 40da06e6b..d1b3666cc 100644
--- a/src/libstore/meson.build
+++ b/src/libstore/meson.build
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ boost = dependency(
 # put in `deps_other`.
 deps_other += boost
 
-curl = dependency('libcurl', 'curl')
+curl = dependency('libcurl', 'curl', version : '>= 7.75.0')
 deps_private += curl
 
 # seccomp only makes sense on Linux
@@ -142,27 +142,16 @@ deps_public += nlohmann_json
 sqlite = dependency('sqlite3', 'sqlite', version : '>=3.6.19')
 deps_private += sqlite
 
-# Curl-based S3 store support
-# Check if curl supports AWS SigV4 (requires >= 7.75.0)
-curl_supports_aws_sigv4 = curl.version().version_compare('>= 7.75.0')
-# AWS CRT C++ for lightweight credential management
-aws_crt_cpp = cxx.find_library('aws-crt-cpp', required : false)
+s3_aws_auth = get_option('s3-aws-auth')
+aws_crt_cpp = cxx.find_library('aws-crt-cpp', required : s3_aws_auth)
 
-curl_s3_store_opt = get_option('curl-s3-store').require(
-  curl_supports_aws_sigv4,
-  error_message : 'curl-based S3 support requires curl >= 7.75.0',
-).require(
-  aws_crt_cpp.found(),
-  error_message : 'curl-based S3 support requires aws-crt-cpp',
-)
-
-if curl_s3_store_opt.enabled()
+if s3_aws_auth.enabled()
   deps_other += aws_crt_cpp
   aws_c_common = cxx.find_library('aws-c-common', required : true)
   deps_other += aws_c_common
 endif
 
-configdata_pub.set('NIX_WITH_AWS_AUTH', curl_s3_store_opt.enabled().to_int())
+configdata_pub.set('NIX_WITH_AWS_AUTH', s3_aws_auth.enabled().to_int())
 
 subdir('nix-meson-build-support/generate-header')
 
@@ -346,7 +335,7 @@ sources = files(
 )
 
 # AWS credentials code requires AWS CRT, so only compile when enabled
-if curl_s3_store_opt.enabled()
+if s3_aws_auth.enabled()
   sources += files('aws-creds.cc')
 endif
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/meson.options b/src/libstore/meson.options
index edc43bd45..c822133df 100644
--- a/src/libstore/meson.options
+++ b/src/libstore/meson.options
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ option(
 )
 
 option(
-  'curl-s3-store',
+  's3-aws-auth',
   type : 'feature',
-  value : 'disabled',
-  description : 'Enable curl-based S3 binary cache store support (requires aws-crt-cpp and curl >= 7.75.0)',
+  description : 'build support for AWS authentication with S3',
 )
diff --git a/src/libstore/package.nix b/src/libstore/package.nix
index 897662e11..ddad077ce 100644
--- a/src/libstore/package.nix
+++ b/src/libstore/package.nix
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ mkMesonLibrary (finalAttrs: {
   mesonFlags = [
     (lib.mesonEnable "seccomp-sandboxing" stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux)
     (lib.mesonBool "embedded-sandbox-shell" embeddedSandboxShell)
-    (lib.mesonEnable "curl-s3-store" withAWS)
+    (lib.mesonEnable "s3-aws-auth" withAWS)
   ]
   ++ lib.optionals stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux [
     (lib.mesonOption "sandbox-shell" "${busybox-sandbox-shell}/bin/busybox")