diff --git a/config/x_ac_pmix.m4 b/config/x_ac_pmix.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1382b35350fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/x_ac_pmix.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# It is fatal if --enable-pmix-bootstrap and pmix package not found.
+# (PKG_CHECK_MODULES default behavior is to fail if package not found)
+AC_DEFUN([X_AC_PMIX], [
+    AC_ARG_ENABLE([pmix-bootstrap],
+        AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-pmix-bootstrap], [Enable PMIx bootstrap]))
+    AS_IF([test "x$enable_pmix_bootstrap" = "xyes"], [
+        PKG_CHECK_MODULES([PMIX], [pmix])
+        AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBPMIX], [1], [Enable PMIx bootstrap])
+    ])
+])
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5f6fb9feac1a..ec349f2dfdb1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -385,6 +385,8 @@ AS_IF([test "x$enable_content_s3" = "xyes"], [
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_CONTENT_S3], [test "x$enable_content_s3" = "xyes"])
 
+X_AC_PMIX
+
 ##
 # Check for systemd
 ##
diff --git a/src/broker/Makefile.am b/src/broker/Makefile.am
index 7332207e1d5a..1c0dd2b8697f 100644
--- a/src/broker/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/broker/Makefile.am
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir) \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src/include \
 	-I$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux \
+	$(PMIX_CFLAGS) \
 	$(ZMQ_CFLAGS) \
 	$(LIBUUID_CFLAGS) \
 	$(VALGRIND_CFLAGS)
@@ -64,7 +65,8 @@ flux_broker_LDADD = \
 	$(builddir)/libbroker.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-core.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libpmi/libpmi_client.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-internal.la
+	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-internal.la \
+	$(PMIX_LIBS)
 
 flux_broker_LDFLAGS =
 
@@ -82,7 +84,8 @@ test_ldadd = \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-core.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libpmi/libpmi_client.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-internal.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libtap/libtap.la
+	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libtap/libtap.la \
+	$(PMIX_LIBS)
 
 test_ldflags = \
 	-no-install