diff --git a/contrib/fedora/rpm/build_clean.sh b/contrib/fedora/rpm/build_clean.sh
index 9e176e10e..37436c1b6 100755
--- a/contrib/fedora/rpm/build_clean.sh
+++ b/contrib/fedora/rpm/build_clean.sh
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ if [[ $NO_DIST != 1 ]]; then
                 -Dlibaudit=yes-disabled-by-default \
                 -Dpolkit=true \
                 -Dnm_cloud_setup=true \
+                -Ddhclient=/usr/sbin/dhclient \
                 -Dconfig_dhcp_default=internal \
                 -Dconfig_dns_rc_manager_default=auto \
                 -Diptables=/usr/sbin/iptables \
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 3a3516446..4ec49fcd3 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -657,6 +657,9 @@ foreach client : [ 'dhclient', 'dhcpcd', 'dhcpcanon' ]
   if (client_enable)
     dhcp_summary += (' ' + client_path)
   endif
+  if (client == 'dhclient')
+    dhcp_summary += ' (deprecated)'
+  endif
   dhcp_summary += '\n'
 endforeach
 
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 75cf183d7..93eeac86b 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ option('netconfig', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Enable SUSE netconf
 option('config_dns_rc_manager_default', type: 'combo', choices: ['auto', 'symlink', 'file', 'netconfig', 'resolvconf'], value: 'auto', description: 'Configure default value for main.rc-manager setting')
 
 # dhcp clients
-option('dhclient', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Enable dhclient support')
+option('dhclient', type: 'string', value: 'no', description: 'Enable dhclient support (deprecated)')
 option('dhcpcanon', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Enable dhcpcanon support (experimental)')
 option('dhcpcd', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Enable dhcpcd support')
 option('config_dhcp_default', type: 'combo', choices: ['dhcpcanon', 'dhclient', 'dhcpcd', 'internal', 'nettools'], value: 'internal', description: 'Default configuration option for main.dhcp setting, used as fallback if the configuration option is unset')