diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index f78c29b56..7238069cc 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -1,56 +1,84 @@
 const std = @import("std");
 
+pub const CodeUnitWidth = enum {
+    @"8",
+    @"16",
+    @"32",
+};
+
 pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
     const target = b.standardTargetOptions(.{});
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
+    const linkage = b.option(std.Build.Step.Compile.Linkage, "linkage", "whether to statically or dynamically link the library") orelse .static;
+    const codeUnitWidth = b.option(CodeUnitWidth, "code-unit-width", "Sets the code unit width") orelse .@"8";
 
     const copyFiles = b.addWriteFiles();
-    copyFiles.addCopyFileToSource(.{ .path = "src/config.h.generic" }, "src/config.h");
-    copyFiles.addCopyFileToSource(.{ .path = "src/pcre2.h.generic" }, "src/pcre2.h");
-    copyFiles.addCopyFileToSource(.{ .path = "src/pcre2_chartables.c.dist" }, "src/pcre2_chartables.c");
-
-    const lib = b.addStaticLibrary(.{
-        .name = "pcre2",
-        .target = target,
-        .optimize = optimize,
+    _ = copyFiles.addCopyFile(.{ .path = "src/config.h.generic" }, "config.h");
+    _ = copyFiles.addCopyFile(.{ .path = "src/pcre2.h.generic" }, "pcre2.h");
+
+    const lib = std.Build.Step.Compile.create(b, .{
+        .name = b.fmt("pcre2-{s}", .{@tagName(codeUnitWidth)}),
+        .root_module = .{
+            .target = target,
+            .optimize = optimize,
+            .link_libc = true,
+        },
+        .kind = .lib,
+        .linkage = linkage,
     });
-    lib.addIncludePath(.{ .path = "src" });
-    lib.addCSourceFiles(&.{
-        "src/pcre2_auto_possess.c",
-        "src/pcre2_chkdint.c",
-        "src/pcre2_compile.c",
-        "src/pcre2_config.c",
-        "src/pcre2_context.c",
-        "src/pcre2_convert.c",
-        "src/pcre2_dfa_match.c",
-        "src/pcre2_error.c",
-        "src/pcre2_extuni.c",
-        "src/pcre2_find_bracket.c",
-        "src/pcre2_maketables.c",
-        "src/pcre2_match.c",
-        "src/pcre2_match_data.c",
-        "src/pcre2_newline.c",
-        "src/pcre2_ord2utf.c",
-        "src/pcre2_pattern_info.c",
-        "src/pcre2_script_run.c",
-        "src/pcre2_serialize.c",
-        "src/pcre2_string_utils.c",
-        "src/pcre2_study.c",
-        "src/pcre2_substitute.c",
-        "src/pcre2_substring.c",
-        "src/pcre2_tables.c",
-        "src/pcre2_ucd.c",
-        "src/pcre2_valid_utf.c",
-        "src/pcre2_xclass.c",
-        "src/pcre2_chartables.c",
-    }, &.{
-        "-std=c99",
-        "-DHAVE_CONFIG_H",
-        "-DPCRE2_CODE_UNIT_WIDTH=8",
-        "-DPCRE2_STATIC",
+
+    if (linkage == .static) {
+        try lib.root_module.c_macros.append(b.allocator, "-DPCRE2_STATIC");
+    }
+
+    lib.root_module.addCMacro("PCRE2_CODE_UNIT_WIDTH", @tagName(codeUnitWidth));
+
+    lib.addCSourceFile(.{
+        .file = copyFiles.addCopyFile(.{ .path = "src/pcre2_chartables.c.dist" }, "pcre2_chartables.c"),
+        .flags = &.{
+            "-DHAVE_CONFIG_H",
+        },
     });
-    lib.step.dependOn(&copyFiles.step);
+
+    lib.addIncludePath(.{ .path = b.pathFromRoot("src") });
+    lib.addIncludePath(copyFiles.getDirectory());
+
+    lib.addCSourceFiles(.{
+        .files = &.{
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_auto_possess.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_chkdint.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_compile.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_config.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_context.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_convert.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_dfa_match.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_error.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_extuni.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_find_bracket.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_maketables.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_match.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_match_data.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_newline.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_ord2utf.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_pattern_info.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_script_run.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_serialize.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_string_utils.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_study.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_substitute.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_substring.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_tables.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_ucd.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_valid_utf.c"),
+            b.pathFromRoot("src/pcre2_xclass.c"),
+        },
+        .flags = &.{
+            "-DHAVE_CONFIG_H",
+            "-DPCRE2_CODE_UNIT_WIDTH=8",
+            "-DPCRE2_STATIC",
+        },
+    });
+
     lib.installHeader("src/pcre2.h.generic", "pcre2.h");
-    lib.linkLibC();
     b.installArtifact(lib);
 }