diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index b7411e0462..0973801420 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ confdir = $(sysconfdir)/libvirt
 conf_DATA =
 
 bin_SCRIPTS = virt-xml-validate virt-pki-validate
-bin_PROGRAMS = virt-admin
 libexec_SCRIPTS = libvirt-guests.sh
 
 if WITH_SANLOCK
@@ -53,24 +52,6 @@ virt-sanlock-cleanup: virt-sanlock-cleanup.in Makefile
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES =
 
-virt_admin_SOURCES = \
-		virt-admin.c virt-admin.h \
-		virt-admin-completer.c virt-admin-completer.h \
-		$(NULL)
-
-virt_admin_LDFLAGS = \
-		$(AM_LDFLAGS) \
-		$(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS) \
-		$(STATIC_BINARIES) \
-		$(NULL)
-virt_admin_LDADD = \
-		../src/libvirt-admin.la \
-		libvirt_shell.la \
-		$(LIBXML_LIBS) \
-		$(NULL)
-virt_admin_CFLAGS = \
-		$(AM_CFLAGS) \
-		$(READLINE_CFLAGS)
 BUILT_SOURCES =
 
 install-data-local: install-systemd install-nss \
diff --git a/tools/meson.build b/tools/meson.build
index a8cd26f5c4..6217b36a32 100644
--- a/tools/meson.build
+++ b/tools/meson.build
@@ -197,3 +197,25 @@ executable(
   install_dir: bindir,
   install_rpath: libdir,
 )
+
+executable(
+  'virt-admin',
+  [
+    'virt-admin.c',
+    'virt-admin-completer.c',
+  ],
+  dependencies: [
+    tools_dep,
+    readline_dep,
+  ],
+  link_args: [
+    coverage_flags,
+  ],
+  link_with: [
+    libvirt_admin_lib,
+    libvirt_shell_lib,
+  ],
+  install: true,
+  install_dir: bindir,
+  install_rpath: libdir,
+)