diff --git a/configure b/configure
index d472d4a8d11..f103c17753f 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -62,15 +62,16 @@ Usage: $0 [OPTION]... [VAR=VALUE]...
     --with-ubsan          enable Undefined Behavior Sanitizer
 
   Required packages:
-    --with-arrow=PATH       path to Apache Arrow install root
-    --without-arrow         explicitly disable Apache Arrow integration
-    --with-caf=PATH         path to CAF install root or build directory
-    --with-bundled-caf      build CAF from the submodule
-    --with-flatbuffers=PATH path to FlatBuffers install root
-    --with-yaml-cpp=PATH    path to yaml-cpp install root
-    --with-simdjson=PATH    path to simdjson install root
-    --with-fmt=PATH         path to {fmt} install root
-    --with-spdlog=PATH      path to spdlog install root
+    --with-arrow=PATH        path to Apache Arrow install root
+    --without-arrow          explicitly disable Apache Arrow integration
+    --with-caf=PATH          path to CAF install root or build directory
+    --with-bundled-caf       build CAF from the submodule
+    --with-bundled-robin-map prefer bundled tsl-robin-map over installed one
+    --with-flatbuffers=PATH  path to FlatBuffers install root
+    --with-yaml-cpp=PATH     path to yaml-cpp install root
+    --with-simdjson=PATH     path to simdjson install root
+    --with-fmt=PATH          path to {fmt} install root
+    --with-spdlog=PATH       path to spdlog install root
 
   Optional packages:
     --with-doxygen=PATH   path to Doxygen install root
@@ -242,6 +243,9 @@ while [ $# -ne 0 ]; do
     --with-bundled-caf)
       append_cache_entry VAST_ENABLE_BUNDLED_CAF BOOL yes
       ;;
+    --with-bundled-robin-map)
+      append_cache_entry VAST_ENABLE_BUNDLED_ROBIN_MAP BOOL yes
+      ;;
     --with-flatbuffers=*)
       append_cache_entry FLATBUFFERS_ROOT_DIR PATH "$optarg"
       ;;
diff --git a/libvast/CMakeLists.txt b/libvast/CMakeLists.txt
index 8fe09e0f8af..cd298a642aa 100644
--- a/libvast/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libvast/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,8 +4,17 @@
 # 0.6.2, which is not widely available on package managers. We should
 # investigate switching to a different map, e.g., from folly or abseil.
 
-find_package(tsl-robin-map 0.6.2 QUIET)
+option(VAST_ENABLE_BUNDLED_ROBIN_MAP "Always use the bundled tsl-robin-map" OFF)
+add_feature_info("VAST_ENABLE_BUNDLED_ROBIN_MAP" VAST_ENABLE_BUNDLED_ROBIN_MAP
+                 "always use the tsl-robin-map.")
+if (NOT VAST_ENABLE_BUNDLED_ROBIN_MAP)
+  find_package(tsl-robin-map 0.6.2 QUIET)
+endif ()
 if (NOT tsl-robin-map_FOUND)
+  if (NOT VAST_ENABLE_BUNDLED_ROBIN_MAP)
+    message(STATUS
+      "cannot find installed tsl-robin-map; falling back to bundled version")
+  endif ()
   add_subdirectory(aux/robin-map)
   export(
     EXPORT tsl-robin-mapTargets