diff --git a/packaging/debian/debian/rules b/packaging/debian/debian/rules
index 3116081d..d50847f9 100755
--- a/packaging/debian/debian/rules
+++ b/packaging/debian/debian/rules
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ endif
 override_dh_auto_configure:
 	dh_auto_configure --buildsystem=meson -- -Drecollq=true -Dxadump=true \
 	-Dwebkit=true -Dwebengine=false \
+	-Dnoqtsingleapp=true \
 	-Dpython.platlibdir=/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
 
 override_dh_auto_install:
diff --git a/src/meson_options.txt b/src/meson_options.txt
index a47f60d3..4dc654fd 100644
--- a/src/meson_options.txt
+++ b/src/meson_options.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ option('recollq', type: 'boolean', value: false,
        description: 'Build the recollq command line query tool')
 option('qtgui', type: 'boolean', value: true,
        description: 'Build the Qt GUI')
+option('noqtsingleapp', type: 'boolean', value: false,
+       description: 'Do not use Use the SingleApplication module')
 option('webkit', type: 'boolean', value: true,
        description: 'Use Qt Webkit')
 option('webengine', type: 'boolean', value: false,
diff --git a/src/qtgui/meson.build b/src/qtgui/meson.build
index cbb42481..cd93dcad 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/meson.build
+++ b/src/qtgui/meson.build
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ if not get_option('guidebug')
 else
     qtgui_conf.set('QMAKE_ENABLE_GUIDEBUG', '')
 endif
+if get_option('noqtsingleapp')
+    qtgui_conf.set('QMAKE_ENABLE_SINGLEAPP', '#')
+else
+    qtgui_conf.set('QMAKE_ENABLE_SINGLEAPP', '')
+endif
 qtgui_conf.set('LIBRECOLL_FOR_QMAKE', librecoll.full_path())
 
 # Tell qmake that we are running an unix-type build, not a macx qcreator one
diff --git a/src/qtgui/recoll.pro.in b/src/qtgui/recoll.pro.in
index ac72ef4e..46d9e040 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/recoll.pro.in
+++ b/src/qtgui/recoll.pro.in
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ unix:!macxbundlebuild() {
 
 VPATH = @srcdir@
 # For SingleApplication
-include(@srcdir@/singleapplication.pri)
+@QMAKE_ENABLE_SINGLEAPP@include(@srcdir@/singleapplication.pri)
 
 @QMAKE_ENABLE_WEBKIT@QT += webkitwidgets
 @QMAKE_ENABLE_WEBKIT@DEFINES += USING_WEBKIT