diff --git a/AutoOption.cmake b/AutoOption.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e1379a815
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AutoOption.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# Add a new option with default value "auto":
+#   autoOption(FOOBAR "Support foobar")
+#
+# To check if FOOBAR support should be enabled, use:
+#   if(FOOBAR)
+#
+# If necessary dependencies for FOOBAR are missing, use:
+#   autoDisable(FOOBAR "Did not find baz")
+#
+# Example:
+#   autoOption(FOOBAR "Support foobar")
+#   if(FOOBAR)
+#     Check for FOOBAR here.
+#     if(NOT BAZ_FOUND)
+#       autoDisable(FOOBAR "Did not find baz")
+#     endif()
+#   endif()
+
+function(autoOption name description)
+    set(${name} AUTO CACHE STRING "${description}")
+    set_property(CACHE ${name} PROPERTY STRINGS AUTO ON OFF)
+
+    if((NOT ${name} STREQUAL ON) AND
+        (NOT ${name} STREQUAL OFF) AND
+        (NOT ${name} STREQUAL AUTO))
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Value of ${name} must be one of ON/OFF/AUTO, but is ${${name}}")
+    endif()
+endfunction()
+
+function(autoDisable name reason)
+    message(STATUS "${reason}")
+    if(${name} STREQUAL AUTO)
+        message(STATUS "Disabled.")
+        SET(${name} OFF PARENT_SCOPE)
+    elseif(${name} STREQUAL ON)
+        message(SEND_ERROR "Aborting because ${name} was set to ON.")
+    else()
+        message(AUTHOR_WARNING "Unexpected value for ${name}: ${${name}}.")
+    endif()
+endfunction()
+
+# vim: filetype=cmake:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80:foldmethod=marker
diff --git a/awesomeConfig.cmake b/awesomeConfig.cmake
index 9c6d5f426..a0f455998 100644
--- a/awesomeConfig.cmake
+++ b/awesomeConfig.cmake
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ set(VERSION devel)
 
 set(CODENAME "Too long")
 
-option(WITH_DBUS "build with D-BUS" ON)
-option(GENERATE_MANPAGES "generate manpages" ON)
+include(AutoOption.cmake)
+
+autoOption(WITH_DBUS "build with D-BUS")
+autoOption(GENERATE_MANPAGES "generate manpages")
 option(COMPRESS_MANPAGES "compress manpages" ON)
 option(GENERATE_DOC "generate API documentation" ON)
 option(DO_COVERAGE "build with coverage" OFF)
@@ -84,8 +86,7 @@ if(GENERATE_MANPAGES)
             SET(missing ${missing} " gzip")
         endif()
 
-        message(STATUS "Not generating manpages. Missing: " ${missing})
-        set(GENERATE_MANPAGES OFF)
+        autoDisable(GENERATE_MANPAGES "Not generating manpages. Missing: " ${missing})
     endif()
 endif()
 # }}}
@@ -214,8 +215,7 @@ if(WITH_DBUS)
         set(AWESOME_OPTIONAL_LDFLAGS ${AWESOME_OPTIONAL_LDFLAGS} ${DBUS_LDFLAGS})
         set(AWESOME_OPTIONAL_INCLUDE_DIRS ${AWESOME_OPTIONAL_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${DBUS_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     else()
-        set(WITH_DBUS OFF)
-        message(STATUS "DBUS not found. Disabled.")
+        autoDisable(WITH_DBUS "DBus not found.")
     endif()
 endif()
 # }}}