diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ee98505b45..896ff6093d 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2223,6 +2223,8 @@ subdir('include')
 
 subdir('src')
 
+subdir('tools')
+
 
 # generate meson-config.h file
 configure_file(output: 'meson-config.h', configuration: conf)
diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index 34046817bd..94e5f0c0b0 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -15,32 +15,12 @@
 ## License along with this library.  If not, see
 ## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-AM_CPPFLAGS = \
-	-I$(top_builddir)/include -I$(top_srcdir)/include \
-	-I$(top_builddir)/src -I$(top_srcdir)/src \
-	-I$(top_srcdir)/src/util \
-	-I$(top_srcdir) \
-	$(NULL)
-
 # We do not want to accidentally include stuff from src/
 # dir or public API dir. Specific files can
 # still be included via their path relative to the root if
 # needed
 STANDALONE_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)
 
-AM_CFLAGS = \
-	$(WARN_CFLAGS) \
-	$(COVERAGE_CFLAGS) \
-	$(LIBXML_CFLAGS) \
-	$(GLIB_CFLAGS) \
-	$(NULL)
-
-AM_LDFLAGS = \
-	$(RELRO_LDFLAGS) \
-	$(NO_INDIRECT_LDFLAGS) \
-	$(NO_UNDEFINED_LDFLAGS) \
-	$(NULL)
-
 ICON_FILES = \
 	libvirt_win_icon_16x16.ico \
 	libvirt_win_icon_32x32.ico \
diff --git a/tools/meson.build b/tools/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..43a772a40c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+tools_inc_dir = include_directories('.')
+
+tools_dep = declare_dependency(
+  compile_args: coverage_flags,
+  dependencies: [
+    libxml_dep,
+    glib_dep,
+  ],
+  include_directories: [
+    libvirt_inc,
+    src_inc_dir,
+    util_inc_dir,
+    top_inc_dir,
+  ],
+  link_args: (
+    libvirt_relro
+    + libvirt_no_indirect
+    + libvirt_no_undefined
+  ),
+)