diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index aa4e004ec..7df220930 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -178,8 +178,6 @@ G_DISABLE_ASSERT:
   extends: .build
   image: $FEDORA_IMAGE
   stage: build
-  variables:
-    CPPFLAGS: "-DG_DISABLE_ASSERT"
   script:
     - meson ${MESON_COMMON_OPTIONS}
             --werror
@@ -187,6 +185,7 @@ G_DISABLE_ASSERT:
             -Ddtrace=true
             -Dfam=true
             -Dinstalled_tests=true
+            -Dglib_assert=false
             _build
     - ninja -C _build
     - bash -x ./.gitlab-ci/run-tests.sh
diff --git a/docs/macros.txt b/docs/macros.txt
index c462de513..aa326a4dc 100644
--- a/docs/macros.txt
+++ b/docs/macros.txt
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ GLib's configure options and corresponding macros
 	none
 --buildtype={debug,debugoptimized}	[debugoptimized is the default]
 	-DG_ENABLE_DEBUG -g
-
-Available to define yourself:
-	-DG_DISABLE_ASSERT -DG_DISABLE_CHECKS
+-Dglib_asserts=false
+	-DG_DISABLE_ASSERT
+-Dglib_checks=false
+	-DG_DISABLE_CHECKS
 
 Besides these, there are some local feature specific options, but my main
 focus here is to concentrate on macros that affect overall GLib behaviour
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 1e3ba4d38..34d830c21 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -233,6 +233,16 @@ elif get_option('optimization') in ['2', '3', 's']
   message('Disabling cast checks')
 endif
 
+if not get_option('glib_assert')
+  glib_debug_cflags += ['-DG_DISABLE_ASSERT']
+  message('Disabling GLib asserts')
+endif
+
+if not get_option('glib_checks')
+  glib_debug_cflags += ['-DG_DISABLE_CHECKS']
+  message('Disabling GLib checks')
+endif
+
 add_project_arguments(glib_debug_cflags, language: 'c')
 
 # check for header files
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 6c72168dd..80a1d9d8f 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -94,3 +94,15 @@ option('oss_fuzz',
        type : 'feature',
        value : 'disabled',
        description : 'Indicate oss-fuzz build environment')
+
+option('glib_assert',
+       type : 'boolean',
+       value : true,
+       yield : true,
+       description : 'Enable GLib assertion (see docs/macros.txt)')
+
+option('glib_checks',
+       type : 'boolean',
+       value : true,
+       yield : true,
+       description : 'Enable GLib checks such as API guards (see docs/macros.txt)')