diff --git a/build-aux/Makefile.in b/build-aux/Makefile.in
index 0424ff39fc..415a8df305 100644
--- a/build-aux/Makefile.in
+++ b/build-aux/Makefile.in
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ top_builddir = @top_builddir@
 FLAKE8 = @flake8_path@
 RUNUTF8 = @runutf8@
 PYTHON = @PYTHON3@
+GREP = @GREP@
 
 # include syntax-check.mk file
 include $(top_srcdir)/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
diff --git a/build-aux/meson.build b/build-aux/meson.build
index c506feefd2..c44ed6821c 100644
--- a/build-aux/meson.build
+++ b/build-aux/meson.build
@@ -10,18 +10,32 @@ syntax_check_conf.set('flake8_path', flake8_path)
 syntax_check_conf.set('runutf8', ' '.join(runutf8))
 syntax_check_conf.set('PYTHON3', python3_prog.path())
 
+
+grep_prog = find_program('grep')
+
+if host_machine.system() == 'freebsd'
+  make_prog = find_program('gmake')
+
+  grep_cmd = run_command(grep_prog, '--version')
+  if grep_cmd.stdout().startswith('grep (BSD grep')
+    grep_prog = find_program('/usr/local/bin/grep')
+    grep_cmd = run_command(grep_prog, '--version')
+    if grep_cmd.stdout().startswith('grep (BSD grep')
+      error('GNU grep not found')
+    endif
+  endif
+else
+  make_prog = find_program('make')
+endif
+
+syntax_check_conf.set('GREP', grep_prog.path())
+
 configure_file(
   input: 'Makefile.in',
   output: '@BASENAME@',
   configuration: syntax_check_conf,
 )
 
-if host_machine.system() == 'freebsd'
-  make_prog = find_program('gmake')
-else
-  make_prog = find_program('make')
-endif
-
 rc = run_command(
   'sed', '-n',
   's/^\\(sc_[a-zA-Z0-9_-]*\\):.*/\\1/p',
diff --git a/build-aux/syntax-check.mk b/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
index e1ccb74986..2f4f932a5b 100644
--- a/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
+++ b/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ ME := build-aux/syntax-check.mk
 # of the module description. But some packages import this file directly,
 # ignoring the module description.
 AWK ?= awk
-GREP ?= grep
 # FreeBSD (and probably some other OSes too) ships own version of sed(1), not
 # compatible with the GNU sed. GNU sed is available as gsed(1), so use this
 # instead