diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libzmq/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libzmq/package.py
index 506a0fb44a5..1dd84b4324c 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libzmq/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libzmq/package.py
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ class Libzmq(AutotoolsPackage):
             description="Use strlcpy from libbsd " +
                         "(will use own implementation if false)")
 
+    variant("libunwind", default=False,
+            description="Build with libunwind support")
+
     depends_on("libsodium", when='+libsodium')
     depends_on("libsodium@:1.0.3", when='+libsodium@:4.1.2')
 
@@ -55,6 +58,8 @@ class Libzmq(AutotoolsPackage):
 
     depends_on('libbsd', when='+libbsd')
 
+    depends_on('libunwind', when='+libunwind')
+
     conflicts('%gcc@8:', when='@:4.2.2')
 
     # Fix aggressive compiler warning false positive
@@ -77,6 +82,7 @@ def configure_args(self):
 
         config_args.extend(self.enable_or_disable("drafts"))
         config_args.extend(self.enable_or_disable("libbsd"))
+        config_args.extend(self.enable_or_disable("libunwind"))
 
         if '+libsodium' in self.spec:
             config_args.append('--with-libsodium')