diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index b2b666ecee..2fdc256580 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@ ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I config/m4
 # header file creation so we'll use good old make
 if MAINTAINER_MODE
 BUILT_SOURCES = src/lexer.h src/lexer.c src/parser.h src/parser.c 	\
-		src/builtin.inc src/version.h
+		src/builtin.inc src/config_opts.inc src/version.h
 src/lexer.c: src/lexer.l
 	$(AM_V_LEX) flex -o src/lexer.c --header-file=src/lexer.h $<
 src/lexer.h: src/lexer.c
 else
-BUILT_SOURCES = src/builtin.inc src/version.h
+BUILT_SOURCES = src/builtin.inc src/config_opts.inc src/version.h
 .y.c:
 	$(AM_V_YACC) echo "NOT building parser.c!"
 .l.c:
@@ -109,14 +109,20 @@ generate_ver = ver="`{ $(srcdir)/scripts/version || echo '$(VERSION)' ; } | sed
 src/version.h: .remake-version-h
 	mkdir -p src
 	$(AM_V_GEN) $(generate_ver); echo "$$ver" > $@
-src/main.c: src/version.h
+src/config_opts.inc:
+	mkdir -p src
+	$(AM_V_GEN) if test -x ./config.status; then \
+	  ./config.status --config; \
+	else echo "(unknown)"; \
+	fi | sed -e 's/\\/\\\\/g' -e 's/"/\\"/g' -e 's/^/"/' -e 's/$$/\\n"/' -e 's/^/#define JQ_CONFIG /' > $@
+src/main.c: src/version.h src/config_opts.inc
 
 src/builtin.inc: $(srcdir)/src/builtin.jq
 	mkdir -p src
 	$(AM_V_GEN) sed -e 's/\\/\\\\/g' -e 's/"/\\"/g' -e 's/^/"/' -e 's/$$/\\n"/' $(srcdir)/src/builtin.jq > $@
 src/builtin.o: src/builtin.inc
 
-CLEANFILES = src/version.h .remake-version-h src/builtin.inc
+CLEANFILES = src/version.h .remake-version-h src/builtin.inc src/config_opts.inc
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = jq
 jq_SOURCES = src/main.c src/version.h
diff --git a/docs/content/manual/manual.yml b/docs/content/manual/manual.yml
index cebc0d8835..832e69260d 100644
--- a/docs/content/manual/manual.yml
+++ b/docs/content/manual/manual.yml
@@ -301,6 +301,12 @@ sections:
 
         Output the jq version and exit with zero.
 
+      * `--build-configuration`:
+
+        Output the build configuration of jq and exit with zero.
+        This output has no supported format or structure and may change
+        without notice in future releases.
+
       * `--help` / `-h`:
 
         Output the jq help and exit with zero.
diff --git a/jq.1.prebuilt b/jq.1.prebuilt
index e6ccd1815f..3080978c53 100644
--- a/jq.1.prebuilt
+++ b/jq.1.prebuilt
@@ -235,6 +235,12 @@ Windows users using WSL, MSYS2, or Cygwin, should use this option when using a n
 Output the jq version and exit with zero\.
 .
 .TP
+\fB\-\-build\-configuration\fR:
+.
+.IP
+Output the build configuration of jq and exit with zero\. This output has no supported format or structure and may change without notice in future releases\.
+.
+.TP
 \fB\-\-help\fR / \fB\-h\fR:
 .
 .IP
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 2b00ce295a..f76fde567d 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ extern void jv_tsd_dtoa_ctx_init();
 #include "jv_alloc.h"
 #include "util.h"
 #include "src/version.h"
+#include "src/config_opts.inc"
 
 int jq_testsuite(jv lib_dirs, int verbose, int argc, char* argv[]);
 
@@ -580,6 +581,11 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         ret = JQ_OK;
         goto out;
       }
+      if (isoption(argv[i], 0, "build-configuration", &short_opts)) {
+        printf("%s\n", JQ_CONFIG);
+        ret = JQ_OK;
+        goto out;
+      }
       if (isoption(argv[i], 0, "run-tests", &short_opts)) {
         i++;
         // XXX Pass program_arguments, even a whole jq_state *, through;