diff --git a/ci/build.sh b/ci/build.sh
index ed9b1f4473..0e07b2e59d 100644
--- a/ci/build.sh
+++ b/ci/build.sh
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@ export VIR_TEST_DEBUG=1
 # populated either from a GitLab's job configuration or from command line as
 # `$ helper build --meson-configure-args=-Dopt1 -Dopt2` when run in a local
 # containerized environment
+#
+# The contents of $MESON_ARGS (defined locally) should take precedence over
+# those of $MESON_OPTS (defined when the container was built), so they're
+# passed to meson after them
 
-MESON_ARGS="$MESON_ARGS $MESON_OPTS"
-
-meson setup build --werror -Dsystem=true $MESON_ARGS || \
+meson setup build --werror -Dsystem=true $MESON_OPTS $MESON_ARGS || \
 (cat build/meson-logs/meson-log.txt && exit 1)
 
 ninja -C build $NINJA_ARGS