diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-03-10-16-58-55.gh-issue-138850.CkqTw6.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-03-10-16-58-55.gh-issue-138850.CkqTw6.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..bec8519cfc185d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2026-03-10-16-58-55.gh-issue-138850.CkqTw6.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add ``--disable-epoll`` to ``configure``
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 95bb6ba4e84ccf..09c1694915e219 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1133,6 +1133,7 @@ with_pymalloc_hugepages
 with_c_locale_coercion
 with_valgrind
 with_dtrace
+enable_epoll
 with_libm
 with_libc
 enable_big_digits
@@ -1856,6 +1857,7 @@ Optional Features:
                           see Doc/library/sqlite3.rst (default is no)
   --enable-ipv6           enable ipv6 (with ipv4) support, see
                           Doc/library/socket.rst (default is yes if supported)
+  --disable-epoll         disable epoll (default is yes if supported)
   --enable-big-digits[=15|30]
                           use big digits (30 or 15 bits) for Python longs
                           (default is 30)]
@@ -20960,6 +20962,29 @@ fi
 
 
 
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for --disable-epoll" >&5
+printf %s "checking for --disable-epoll... " >&6; }
+# Check whether --enable-epoll was given.
+if test ${enable_epoll+y}
+then :
+  enableval=$enable_epoll; if test "x$enable_epoll" = xno
+then :
+  disable_epoll=yes
+else case e in #(
+  e) disable_epoll=no ;;
+esac
+fi
+else case e in #(
+  e) disable_epoll=no
+ ;;
+esac
+fi
+
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $disable_epoll" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$disable_epoll" >&6; }
+if test "$disable_epoll" = "no"
+then
+
 
   { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for epoll_create" >&5
 printf %s "checking for epoll_create... " >&6; }
@@ -21041,6 +21066,8 @@ fi
 
 
 
+fi
+
 
 
   { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for kqueue" >&5
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e049f568417335..681bf9eead2c8b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -5380,8 +5380,20 @@ PY_CHECK_FUNC([symlink], [@%:@include <unistd.h>])
 PY_CHECK_FUNC([fchdir], [@%:@include <unistd.h>])
 PY_CHECK_FUNC([fsync], [@%:@include <unistd.h>])
 PY_CHECK_FUNC([fdatasync], [@%:@include <unistd.h>])
-PY_CHECK_FUNC([epoll_create], [@%:@include <sys/epoll.h>], [HAVE_EPOLL])
-PY_CHECK_FUNC([epoll_create1], [@%:@include <sys/epoll.h>])
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for --disable-epoll])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([epoll],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-epoll], [disable epoll (default is yes if supported)])],
+  [AS_VAR_IF([enable_epoll], [no], [disable_epoll=yes], [disable_epoll=no])],
+  [disable_epoll=no]
+)
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$disable_epoll])
+if test "$disable_epoll" = "no"
+then
+  PY_CHECK_FUNC([epoll_create], [@%:@include <sys/epoll.h>], [HAVE_EPOLL])
+  PY_CHECK_FUNC([epoll_create1], [@%:@include <sys/epoll.h>])
+fi
+
 PY_CHECK_FUNC([kqueue],[
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/event.h>