diff --git a/configure b/configure
index e8cc850727..f02635b087 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -676,6 +676,21 @@ fi
 
 werror=""
 
+meson_option_build_array() {
+  printf '['
+  (if test "$targetos" == windows; then
+    IFS=\;
+  else
+    IFS=:
+  fi
+  for e in $1; do
+    e=${e/'\'/'\\'}
+    e=${e/\"/'\"'}
+    printf '"""%s""",' "$e"
+  done)
+  printf ']\n'
+}
+
 . $source_path/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
 
 meson_options=
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index da76edc7c7..ad16fc1aa8 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1718,7 +1718,13 @@ config_host_data.set_quoted('CONFIG_PREFIX', get_option('prefix'))
 config_host_data.set_quoted('CONFIG_QEMU_CONFDIR', get_option('prefix') / qemu_confdir)
 config_host_data.set_quoted('CONFIG_QEMU_DATADIR', get_option('prefix') / qemu_datadir)
 config_host_data.set_quoted('CONFIG_QEMU_DESKTOPDIR', get_option('prefix') / qemu_desktopdir)
-config_host_data.set_quoted('CONFIG_QEMU_FIRMWAREPATH', get_option('prefix') / get_option('qemu_firmwarepath'))
+
+qemu_firmwarepath = ''
+foreach k : get_option('qemu_firmwarepath')
+  qemu_firmwarepath += '"' + get_option('prefix') / k + '", '
+endforeach
+config_host_data.set('CONFIG_QEMU_FIRMWAREPATH', qemu_firmwarepath)
+
 config_host_data.set_quoted('CONFIG_QEMU_HELPERDIR', get_option('prefix') / get_option('libexecdir'))
 config_host_data.set_quoted('CONFIG_QEMU_ICONDIR', get_option('prefix') / qemu_icondir)
 config_host_data.set_quoted('CONFIG_QEMU_LOCALEDIR', get_option('prefix') / get_option('localedir'))
@@ -3683,7 +3689,8 @@ endif
 summary_info = {}
 summary_info += {'Install prefix':    get_option('prefix')}
 summary_info += {'BIOS directory':    qemu_datadir}
-summary_info += {'firmware path':     get_option('prefix') / get_option('qemu_firmwarepath')}
+pathsep = targetos == 'windows' ? ';' : ':'
+summary_info += {'firmware path':     pathsep.join(get_option('qemu_firmwarepath'))}
 summary_info += {'binary directory':  get_option('prefix') / get_option('bindir')}
 summary_info += {'library directory': get_option('prefix') / get_option('libdir')}
 summary_info += {'module directory':  qemu_moddir}
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 9a034f875b..e58e158396 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ option('qemu_suffix', type : 'string', value: 'qemu',
        description: 'Suffix for QEMU data/modules/config directories (can be empty)')
 option('docdir', type : 'string', value : 'share/doc',
        description: 'Base directory for documentation installation (can be empty)')
-option('qemu_firmwarepath', type : 'string', value : 'share/qemu-firmware',
+option('qemu_firmwarepath', type : 'array', value : ['share/qemu-firmware'],
        description: 'search PATH for firmware files')
 option('pkgversion', type : 'string', value : '',
        description: 'use specified string as sub-version of the package')
diff --git a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.py b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.py
index e624c16b01..3e2b478538 100755
--- a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.py
+++ b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.py
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ def cli_metavar(opt):
     if opt["type"] == "string":
         return "VALUE"
     if opt["type"] == "array":
-        return "CHOICES"
+        return "CHOICES" if "choices" in opt else "VALUES"
     return "CHOICE"
 
 
@@ -199,7 +199,10 @@ def print_parse(options):
         key = cli_option(opt)
         name = opt["name"]
         if require_arg(opt):
-            print(f'    --{key}=*) quote_sh "-D{name}=$2" ;;')
+            if opt["type"] == "array" and not "choices" in opt:
+                print(f'    --{key}=*) quote_sh "-D{name}=$(meson_option_build_array $2)" ;;')
+            else:
+                print(f'    --{key}=*) quote_sh "-D{name}=$2" ;;')
         elif opt["type"] == "boolean":
             print(f'    --enable-{key}) printf "%s" -D{name}=true ;;')
             print(f'    --disable-{key}) printf "%s" -D{name}=false ;;')
diff --git a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
index 4b7b8ffaa2..359b04e0e6 100644
--- a/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
+++ b/scripts/meson-buildoptions.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ meson_options_help() {
   printf "%s\n" '  --enable-trace-backends=CHOICES'
   printf "%s\n" '                           Set available tracing backends [log] (choices:'
   printf "%s\n" '                           dtrace/ftrace/log/nop/simple/syslog/ust)'
-  printf "%s\n" '  --firmwarepath=VALUE     search PATH for firmware files [share/qemu-firmware]'
+  printf "%s\n" '  --firmwarepath=VALUES    search PATH for firmware files [share/qemu-firmware]'
   printf "%s\n" '  --iasl=VALUE             Path to ACPI disassembler'
   printf "%s\n" '  --includedir=VALUE       Header file directory [include]'
   printf "%s\n" '  --interp-prefix=VALUE    where to find shared libraries etc., use %M for'
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ _meson_option_parse() {
     --disable-qcow1) printf "%s" -Dqcow1=disabled ;;
     --enable-qed) printf "%s" -Dqed=enabled ;;
     --disable-qed) printf "%s" -Dqed=disabled ;;
-    --firmwarepath=*) quote_sh "-Dqemu_firmwarepath=$2" ;;
+    --firmwarepath=*) quote_sh "-Dqemu_firmwarepath=$(meson_option_build_array $2)" ;;
     --enable-qga-vss) printf "%s" -Dqga_vss=enabled ;;
     --disable-qga-vss) printf "%s" -Dqga_vss=disabled ;;
     --enable-qom-cast-debug) printf "%s" -Dqom_cast_debug=true ;;
diff --git a/softmmu/datadir.c b/softmmu/datadir.c
index 697cffea93..c9237cb5d4 100644
--- a/softmmu/datadir.c
+++ b/softmmu/datadir.c
@@ -85,15 +85,17 @@ void qemu_add_data_dir(char *path)
 
 void qemu_add_default_firmwarepath(void)
 {
-    char **dirs;
+    static const char * const dirs[] = {
+        CONFIG_QEMU_FIRMWAREPATH
+        NULL
+    };
+
     size_t i;
 
     /* add configured firmware directories */
-    dirs = g_strsplit(CONFIG_QEMU_FIRMWAREPATH, G_SEARCHPATH_SEPARATOR_S, 0);
     for (i = 0; dirs[i] != NULL; i++) {
         qemu_add_data_dir(get_relocated_path(dirs[i]));
     }
-    g_strfreev(dirs);
 
     /* try to find datadir relative to the executable path */
     qemu_add_data_dir(get_relocated_path(CONFIG_QEMU_DATADIR));