diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index 1848338adb..40e73d1b83 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ bin_PROGRAMS += virt-login-shell
 libexec_PROGRAMS = virt-login-shell-helper
 endif WITH_LOGIN_SHELL
 
-if WITH_HOST_VALIDATE
-bin_PROGRAMS += virt-host-validate
-endif WITH_HOST_VALIDATE
-
 virt-xml-validate: virt-xml-validate.in Makefile
 	$(AM_V_GEN)sed -e 's|[@]schemadir@|$(pkgdatadir)/schemas|g' \
 		       -e 's|[@]VERSION@|$(VERSION)|g' \
@@ -66,45 +62,6 @@ virt-sanlock-cleanup: virt-sanlock-cleanup.in Makefile
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES =
 
-virt_host_validate_SOURCES = \
-		virt-host-validate.c \
-		virt-host-validate-common.c virt-host-validate-common.h
-
-VIRT_HOST_VALIDATE_QEMU = \
-		virt-host-validate-qemu.c \
-		virt-host-validate-qemu.h
-VIRT_HOST_VALIDATE_LXC = \
-		virt-host-validate-lxc.c \
-		virt-host-validate-lxc.h
-VIRT_HOST_VALIDATE_BHYVE = \
-		virt-host-validate-bhyve.c \
-		virt-host-validate-bhyve.h
-if WITH_QEMU
-virt_host_validate_SOURCES += $(VIRT_HOST_VALIDATE_QEMU)
-endif WITH_QEMU
-
-if WITH_LXC
-virt_host_validate_SOURCES += $(VIRT_HOST_VALIDATE_LXC)
-endif WITH_LXC
-
-if WITH_BHYVE
-virt_host_validate_SOURCES += $(VIRT_HOST_VALIDATE_BHYVE)
-endif WITH_BHYVE
-
-virt_host_validate_LDFLAGS = \
-		$(AM_LDFLAGS) \
-		$(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS) \
-		$(NULL)
-
-virt_host_validate_LDADD = \
-		../src/libvirt.la \
-		$(GLIB_LIBS) \
-		$(NULL)
-
-virt_host_validate_CFLAGS = \
-		$(AM_CFLAGS) \
-		$(NULL)
-
 # virt-login-shell will be setuid, and must not link to anything
 # except glibc. It wil scrub the environment and then invoke the
 # real virt-login-shell-helper binary.
diff --git a/tools/meson.build b/tools/meson.build
index f4df906d27..4229119d5e 100644
--- a/tools/meson.build
+++ b/tools/meson.build
@@ -36,3 +36,45 @@ libvirt_shell_lib = static_library(
     coverage_flags,
   ],
 )
+
+if conf.has('WITH_HOST_VALIDATE')
+  virt_host_validate_sources = [
+    'virt-host-validate.c',
+    'virt-host-validate-common.c',
+  ]
+
+  if conf.has('WITH_QEMU')
+    virt_host_validate_sources += [
+      'virt-host-validate-qemu.c',
+    ]
+  endif
+  if conf.has('WITH_LXC')
+    virt_host_validate_sources += [
+      'virt-host-validate-lxc.c',
+    ]
+  endif
+  if conf.has('WITH_BHYVE')
+    virt_host_validate_sources += [
+      'virt-host-validate-bhyve.c',
+    ]
+  endif
+
+  executable(
+    'virt-host-validate',
+    [
+      virt_host_validate_sources,
+    ],
+    dependencies: [
+      tools_dep,
+    ],
+    link_args: [
+      coverage_flags,
+    ],
+    link_with: [
+      libvirt_lib,
+    ],
+    install: true,
+    install_dir: bindir,
+    install_rpath: libdir,
+  )
+endif