diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4c6e5a088e..b181d8f617 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1414,6 +1414,7 @@ if yajl_dep.found()
   endif
 
   conf.set('WITH_YAJL', 1)
+  conf.set('WITH_JSON', 1)
 endif
 
 
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index 2f1eda1f95..700a5d4049 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ if host_machine.system() == 'linux'
     { 'name': 'virscsitest' },
     { 'name': 'virusbtest' },
   ]
-  if conf.has('WITH_YAJL')
+  if conf.has('WITH_JSON')
     tests += [
       { 'name': 'virnetdevopenvswitchtest' },
     ]
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ if conf.has('WITH_NETWORK')
   ]
 endif
 
-if conf.has('WITH_NODE_DEVICES') and conf.has('WITH_YAJL')
+if conf.has('WITH_NODE_DEVICES') and conf.has('WITH_JSON')
   tests += [
     { 'name': 'nodedevmdevctltest', 'link_with': [ node_device_driver_impl ] },
   ]
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ if conf.has('WITH_VMX')
   ]
 endif
 
-if conf.has('WITH_YAJL')
+if conf.has('WITH_JSON')
   tests += [
     { 'name': 'virjsontest' },
     { 'name': 'virmacmaptest' },
diff --git a/tests/virnetdaemontest.c b/tests/virnetdaemontest.c
index 74c20479d4..1a5c5f32e1 100644
--- a/tests/virnetdaemontest.c
+++ b/tests/virnetdaemontest.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_RPC
 
-#if !defined(WIN32) && defined(WITH_YAJL)
+#if !defined(WIN32) && defined(WITH_JSON)
 struct testClientPriv {
     int magic;
 };
diff --git a/tests/virstoragetest.c b/tests/virstoragetest.c
index d07a05d04b..75d04e8030 100644
--- a/tests/virstoragetest.c
+++ b/tests/virstoragetest.c
@@ -815,7 +815,7 @@ mymain(void)
                             "  <host name='example.org' port='1234'/>\n"
                             "</source>\n", 1);
 
-#ifdef WITH_YAJL
+#ifdef WITH_JSON
     TEST_BACKING_PARSE("json:", NULL);
     TEST_BACKING_PARSE("json:asdgsdfg", NULL);
     TEST_BACKING_PARSE("json:{}", NULL);
@@ -1192,7 +1192,7 @@ mymain(void)
                         "  <address domain='0x0000' bus='0x01' slot='0x00' function='0x0'/>\n"
                         "</source>\n");
 
-#endif /* WITH_YAJL */
+#endif /* WITH_JSON */
 
     return ret == 0 ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
 }