diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 0b1251704d..78ae0cad70 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: build
         run: |
           scripts/build.sh -m muon
+
   build-make-static:
     name: make static
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -99,3 +100,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: build
         run: |
           make static
+
+  build-distro:
+    name: build libnvme and nvme-cli separately
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container:
+      image: ghcr.io/igaw/linux-nvme/debian:latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: build
+        run: |
+          scripts/build.sh distro
diff --git a/scripts/build.sh b/scripts/build.sh
index 470f39a885..be907a5af7 100755
--- a/scripts/build.sh
+++ b/scripts/build.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ usage() {
     echo "  cross               use cross toolchain to build"
     echo "  coverage            build coverage report"
     echo "  appimage            build AppImage target"
+    echo "  distro              build libnvme and nvme-cli separately"
     echo ""
     echo "configs with muon:"
     echo "  [default]           minimal static build"
@@ -205,6 +206,51 @@ test_muon() {
     ldd "${BUILDDIR}/nvme" 2>&1 | grep 'not a dynamic executable' || exit 1
 }
 
+_install_libnvme() {
+    local libnvme_ref=$(sed -n "s/revision = \([0-9a-z]\+\)/\1/p" subprojects/libnvme.wrap)
+    local LBUILDDIR="${BUILDDIR}/.build-libnvme"
+
+    mkdir -p "${BUILDDIR}/libnvme"
+
+    pushd "${BUILDDIR}/libnvme"
+    git init
+    git remote add origin https://github.com/linux-nvme/libnvme.git
+    git fetch origin ${libnvme_ref}
+    git reset --hard FETCH_HEAD
+
+    CC="${CC}" "${MESON}" setup                 \
+        --prefix="${BUILDDIR}/usr"              \
+        --buildtype="${BUILDTYPE}"              \
+        "${LBUILDDIR}"
+
+    "${MESON}" compile                          \
+        -C "${LBUILDDIR}"
+
+    "${MESON}" install                          \
+        -C "${LBUILDDIR}"
+
+    popd || exit 1
+}
+
+config_meson_distro() {
+    _install_libnvme
+
+    PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${BUILDDIR}/usr/lib64/pkgconfig" \
+    CC="${CC}" ${MESON} setup                   \
+        --prefix="${BUILDDIR}/usr"              \
+        --werror                                \
+        --buildtype="${BUILDTYPE}"              \
+        "${BUILDDIR}"
+}
+
+build_meson_distro() {
+    build_meson
+}
+
+test_meson_distro() {
+    test_meson
+}
+
 if [[ "${BUILDTOOL}" == "muon" ]]; then
     SAMU="$(which samu 2> /dev/null)" || true
     if [[ -z "${SAMU}" ]]; then