diff --git a/mesonbuild/envconfig.py b/mesonbuild/envconfig.py
index ac13a7101..339f98052 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/envconfig.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/envconfig.py
@@ -292,6 +292,12 @@ class MachineInfo:
         """Machine is illumos or Solaris?"""
         return self.system == 'sunos'
 
+    def is_hurd(self) -> bool:
+        """
+        Machine is GNU/Hurd?
+        """
+        return self.system == 'gnu'
+
     # Various prefixes and suffixes for import libraries, shared libraries,
     # static libraries, and executables.
     # Versioning is added to these names in the backends as-needed.
diff --git a/mesonbuild/mesonlib.py b/mesonbuild/mesonlib.py
index c72197e7c..6c1e4668b 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/mesonlib.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/mesonlib.py
@@ -508,6 +508,10 @@ def is_freebsd() -> bool:
     return platform.system().lower() == 'freebsd'
 
 
+def is_hurd() -> bool:
+    return platform.system().lower() == 'gnu'
+
+
 def exe_exists(arglist: T.List[str]) -> bool:
     try:
         if subprocess.run(arglist, timeout=10).returncode == 0: