diff --git a/scripts/meson-gen-def.py b/scripts/meson-gen-def.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..06c9bdf66a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/meson-gen-def.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import re
+import sys
+
+if len(sys.argv) != 3:
+    print('invalid arguments')
+    print('usage: {0} INPUT OUTPUT'.format(sys.argv[0]))
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+infilepath = sys.argv[1]
+outfilepath = sys.argv[2]
+
+with open(infilepath) as f:
+    text = f.read()
+
+text = re.sub(r'^(|.*[#:}*].*|LIBVIRT_.*)\n?', '', text, flags=re.M)
+text = re.sub(r'\n$', '', text)
+text = re.sub(r'^[ ]*(.*);', r'    \1', text, flags=re.M)
+
+with open(outfilepath, 'w') as f:
+    f.write('EXPORTS\n')
+    f.write(text)
diff --git a/scripts/meson.build b/scripts/meson.build
index 5d3f0af479..09340bb6c6 100644
--- a/scripts/meson.build
+++ b/scripts/meson.build
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ scripts = [
   'header-ifdef.py',
   'hvsupport.py',
   'hyperv_wmi_generator.py',
+  'meson-gen-def.py',
   'meson-python.sh',
   'mock-noinline.py',
   'prohibit-duplicate-header.py',
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 9764a648f9..36edda1616 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -307,14 +307,6 @@ libvirt.syms: libvirt_public.syms $(USED_SYM_FILES) \
 	chmod a-w $@-tmp && \
 	mv $@-tmp libvirt.syms
 
-%.def: %.syms
-	$(AM_V_GEN)rm -f -- $@-tmp $@ ; \
-	printf 'EXPORTS\n' > $@-tmp && \
-	sed -e '/^$$/d; /#/d; /:/d; /}/d; /\*/d; /LIBVIRT_/d' \
-	    -e 's/[	 ]*\(.*\)\;/    \1/g' $^ >> $@-tmp && \
-	chmod a-w $@-tmp && \
-	mv $@-tmp $@
-
 # Empty source list - it merely links a bunch of convenience libs together
 libvirt_la_SOURCES =
 libvirt_la_LDFLAGS = \