diff --git a/build-aux/meson.build b/build-aux/meson.build
index b5d88a4c44..84405c5ec8 100644
--- a/build-aux/meson.build
+++ b/build-aux/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Skip syntax-check if not building from git because we get the list of files
 # to check using git commands and it fails if we are not in git repository.
-if git
+if git and build_tests[0]
   flake8_path = ''
   if flake8_prog.found()
     flake8_path = flake8_prog.full_path()
diff --git a/docs/html/meson.build b/docs/html/meson.build
index c0a666f4e1..b4e81f8501 100644
--- a/docs/html/meson.build
+++ b/docs/html/meson.build
@@ -119,12 +119,14 @@ html_xslt_gen = []
 
 # --- end of XSLT processing ---
 
-test(
-  'check-html',
-  xmllint_prog,
-  args: [
-    '--nonet', '--noout', docs_html_paths,
-  ],
-  depends: docs_html_dep,
-  suite: 'script'
-)
+if build_tests[0]
+  test(
+    'check-html',
+    xmllint_prog,
+    args: [
+      '--nonet', '--noout', docs_html_paths,
+    ],
+    depends: docs_html_dep,
+    suite: 'script'
+  )
+endif
diff --git a/docs/meson.build b/docs/meson.build
index b20ef1c926..52763a8597 100644
--- a/docs/meson.build
+++ b/docs/meson.build
@@ -351,14 +351,16 @@ run_target(
   depends: install_web_deps,
 )
 
-test(
-  'check-html-references',
-  python3_prog,
-  args: [
-    check_html_references_prog.full_path(),
-    '--webroot',
-    meson.project_build_root() / 'docs'
-  ],
-  env: runutf8,
-  suite: 'script'
-)
+if build_tests[0]
+  test(
+    'check-html-references',
+    python3_prog,
+    args: [
+      check_html_references_prog.full_path(),
+      '--webroot',
+      meson.project_build_root() / 'docs'
+    ],
+    env: runutf8,
+    suite: 'script'
+  )
+endif
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 33027404f6..b30150d605 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2085,6 +2085,13 @@ subdir('tools')
 
 if build_tests[0]
   subdir('tests')
+else
+  # Ensure that 'meson test' fails when tests are disabled, as opposed to
+  # misleadingly succeeding at doing absolutely nothing
+  test(
+    'tests-are-disabled',
+    python3_prog, args: [ '-c', 'raise Exception("tests are disabled")' ],
+  )
 endif
 
 subdir('examples')
diff --git a/src/access/meson.build b/src/access/meson.build
index e65f17c0a2..6ca953c932 100644
--- a/src/access/meson.build
+++ b/src/access/meson.build
@@ -105,10 +105,12 @@ access_dep = declare_dependency(
 
 generated_sym_files += access_gen_sym
 
-test(
-  'check-aclperms',
-  python3_prog,
-  args: [ check_aclperms_prog.full_path(), access_perm_h, files('viraccessperm.c') ],
-  env: runutf8,
-  suite: 'script'
-)
+if build_tests[0]
+  test(
+    'check-aclperms',
+    python3_prog,
+    args: [ check_aclperms_prog.full_path(), access_perm_h, files('viraccessperm.c') ],
+    env: runutf8,
+    suite: 'script'
+  )
+endif
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 43146fe3c3..e25b3e5980 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -946,121 +946,123 @@ meson.add_install_script(
 
 # Check driver files
 
-if host_machine.system() == 'linux'
+if build_tests[0]
+  if host_machine.system() == 'linux'
+    test(
+      'check-symfile',
+      python3_prog,
+      args: [ check_symfile_prog.full_path(), libvirt_syms, libvirt_lib ],
+      env: runutf8,
+      suite: 'script'
+    )
+
+    if conf.has('WITH_REMOTE')
+      test(
+        'check-admin-symfile',
+        python3_prog,
+        args: [ check_symfile_prog.full_path(), libvirt_admin_syms, libvirt_admin_lib ],
+        env: runutf8,
+        suite: 'script'
+      )
+    endif
+  endif
+
   test(
-    'check-symfile',
+    'check-symsorting',
     python3_prog,
-    args: [ check_symfile_prog.full_path(), libvirt_syms, libvirt_lib ],
+    args: [
+      check_symsorting_prog.full_path(),
+      meson.current_source_dir(),
+      files(sym_files, used_sym_files),
+    ],
     env: runutf8,
     suite: 'script'
   )
 
-  if conf.has('WITH_REMOTE')
-    test(
-      'check-admin-symfile',
-      python3_prog,
-      args: [ check_symfile_prog.full_path(), libvirt_admin_syms, libvirt_admin_lib ],
-      env: runutf8,
-      suite: 'script'
-    )
+  test(
+    'check-admin-symsorting',
+    python3_prog,
+    args: [
+      check_symsorting_prog.full_path(),
+      meson.current_source_dir(),
+      libvirt_admin_private_syms,
+    ],
+    env: runutf8,
+    suite: 'script'
+  )
+
+  test(
+    'check-drivername',
+    python3_prog,
+    args: [
+      check_drivername_prog.full_path(), files(driver_headers),
+      files('libvirt_public.syms'), libvirt_qemu_syms, libvirt_lxc_syms,
+    ],
+    env: runutf8,
+    suite: 'script'
+  )
+
+  test(
+    'check-admin-drivername',
+    python3_prog,
+    args: [
+      check_drivername_prog.full_path(), libvirt_admin_public_syms,
+    ],
+    env: runutf8,
+    suite: 'script'
+  )
+
+  test(
+    'check-driverimpls',
+    python3_prog,
+    args: [ check_driverimpls_prog.full_path(), driver_source_files ],
+    env: runutf8,
+    suite: 'script'
+  )
+
+  test(
+    'check-aclrules',
+    python3_prog,
+    args: [ check_aclrules_prog.full_path(), files('remote/remote_protocol.x'), stateful_driver_source_files ],
+    env: runutf8,
+    suite: 'script'
+  )
+
+  if augparse_prog.found()
+    foreach data : augeas_test_data
+      test(
+        'check-augeas-@0@'.format(data['name']),
+        augparse_prog,
+        args: [
+          '-I', data['srcdir'],
+          '-I', data['builddir'],
+          data['file'].full_path(),
+        ],
+        suite: 'script'
+      )
+    endforeach
   endif
-endif
 
-test(
-  'check-symsorting',
-  python3_prog,
-  args: [
-    check_symsorting_prog.full_path(),
-    meson.current_source_dir(),
-    files(sym_files, used_sym_files),
-  ],
-  env: runutf8,
-  suite: 'script'
-)
-
-test(
-  'check-admin-symsorting',
-  python3_prog,
-  args: [
-    check_symsorting_prog.full_path(),
-    meson.current_source_dir(),
-    libvirt_admin_private_syms,
-  ],
-  env: runutf8,
-  suite: 'script'
-)
-
-test(
-  'check-drivername',
-  python3_prog,
-  args: [
-    check_drivername_prog.full_path(), files(driver_headers),
-    files('libvirt_public.syms'), libvirt_qemu_syms, libvirt_lxc_syms,
-  ],
-  env: runutf8,
-  suite: 'script'
-)
-
-test(
-  'check-admin-drivername',
-  python3_prog,
-  args: [
-    check_drivername_prog.full_path(), libvirt_admin_public_syms,
-  ],
-  env: runutf8,
-  suite: 'script'
-)
-
-test(
-  'check-driverimpls',
-  python3_prog,
-  args: [ check_driverimpls_prog.full_path(), driver_source_files ],
-  env: runutf8,
-  suite: 'script'
-)
-
-test(
-  'check-aclrules',
-  python3_prog,
-  args: [ check_aclrules_prog.full_path(), files('remote/remote_protocol.x'), stateful_driver_source_files ],
-  env: runutf8,
-  suite: 'script'
-)
-
-if augparse_prog.found()
-  foreach data : augeas_test_data
-    test(
-      'check-augeas-@0@'.format(data['name']),
-      augparse_prog,
-      args: [
-        '-I', data['srcdir'],
-        '-I', data['builddir'],
-        data['file'].full_path(),
-      ],
-      suite: 'script'
-    )
-  endforeach
-endif
-
-if pdwtags_prog.found() and cc.get_id() != 'clang'
-  foreach proto : check_protocols
-    lib = proto['lib']
-    test(
-      'check-@0@'.format(proto['name']),
-      python3_prog,
-      args: [
-        check_remote_protocol_prog.full_path(),
-        proto['name'],
-        lib.name(),
-        lib.full_path(),
-        pdwtags_prog.full_path(),
-        files('@0@-structs'.format(proto['name'])),
-      ],
-      env: runutf8,
-      depends: [ lib ],
-      suite: 'script'
-    )
-  endforeach
+  if pdwtags_prog.found() and cc.get_id() != 'clang'
+    foreach proto : check_protocols
+      lib = proto['lib']
+      test(
+        'check-@0@'.format(proto['name']),
+        python3_prog,
+        args: [
+          check_remote_protocol_prog.full_path(),
+          proto['name'],
+          lib.name(),
+          lib.full_path(),
+          pdwtags_prog.full_path(),
+          files('@0@-structs'.format(proto['name'])),
+        ],
+        env: runutf8,
+        depends: [ lib ],
+        suite: 'script'
+      )
+    endforeach
+  endif
 endif
 
 # configure pkg-config files for run script