diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 77ee60977d..488490181f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1947,24 +1947,24 @@ if conf.has('WITH_LIBVIRTD')
   endif
 
   if not get_option('storage_zfs').disabled()
-    zfs_enable = true
     foreach name : [ 'zfs', 'zpool' ]
       set_variable(
         '@0@_prog'.format(name),
         find_program(name, required: get_option('storage_zfs'), dirs: libvirt_sbin_path)
       )
-      if not get_variable('@0@_prog'.format(name)).found()
-        zfs_enable = false
-      endif
     endforeach
 
-    if zfs_enable
-      use_storage = true
-      conf.set('WITH_STORAGE_ZFS', 1)
-      foreach name : [ 'zfs', 'zpool' ]
-        conf.set_quoted(name.to_upper(), get_variable('@0@_prog'.format(name)).path())
-      endforeach
-    endif
+    use_storage = true
+    conf.set('WITH_STORAGE_ZFS', 1)
+    foreach name : [ 'zfs', 'zpool' ]
+      prog_var = get_variable('@0@_prog'.format(name))
+      if prog_var.found()
+        prog_path = prog_var.path()
+      else
+        prog_path = name
+      endif
+      conf.set_quoted(name.to_upper(), prog_path)
+    endforeach
   endif
 endif