diff --git a/docs/advanced-tests.rst b/docs/advanced-tests.rst
index 772fe1dd16..f17d8b0031 100644
--- a/docs/advanced-tests.rst
+++ b/docs/advanced-tests.rst
@@ -26,13 +26,7 @@ Some tests are skipped by default in a development environment,
 based on the time they take in comparison to the likelihood
 that those tests will turn up problems during incremental
 builds. These tests default to being run when building from a
-tarball or with the configure option -Dexpensive_tests=enabled;
-you can also force a one-time toggle of these tests by setting
-VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE to 0 or 1 at make time, as in:
-
-::
-
-  $ VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE=1 ninja test
+tarball or with the configure option -Dexpensive_tests=enabled.
 
 If you encounter any failing tests, the VIR_TEST_DEBUG
 environment variable may provide extra information to debug the
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index f92c80553c..74de064384 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ option('packager', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Extra packager name'
 option('packager_version', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Extra packager version')
 option('system', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: 'Set install paths to system ones')
 option('runstatedir', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'State directory for temporary sockets, pid files, etc')
-option('expensive_tests', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'set the default for enabling expensive tests (long timeouts), use VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE to override')
+option('expensive_tests', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'set the default for enabling expensive tests (long timeouts)')
 option('test_coverage', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: 'turn on code coverage instrumentation')
 option('git_werror', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'use -Werror if building from GIT')
 option('rpath', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'whether to include rpath information in installed binaries and libraries')
diff --git a/tests/test-lib.sh b/tests/test-lib.sh
index cc3924c07a..67065a9362 100644
--- a/tests/test-lib.sh
+++ b/tests/test-lib.sh
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ test_expensive()
   if test "$VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE" != 1; then
     skip_test_ '
 This test is very expensive, so it is disabled by default.
-To run it anyway, rerun: VIR_TEST_EXPENSIVE=1 ninja test
+To change the default, configure with: meson -Dexpensive_tests=enabled
 '
   fi
 }