diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ba2f0d21de..cea8bbfa0c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1645,10 +1645,10 @@ if not get_option('driver_ch').disabled() and host_machine.system() == 'linux' a
   endif
 endif
 
-# there's no use compiling the network driver without the libvirt
-# daemon, nor compiling it for macOS, where it breaks the compile
-if not get_option('driver_network').disabled() and conf.has('WITH_LIBVIRTD') and host_machine.system() != 'darwin'
+if not get_option('driver_network').disabled() and conf.has('WITH_LIBVIRTD')
   conf.set('WITH_NETWORK', 1)
+elif get_option('driver_network').enabled()
+  error('libvirtd must be enabled to build the network driver')
 endif
 
 if udev_dep.found() and conf.has('WITH_LIBVIRTD')