diff --git a/fsdev/meson.build b/fsdev/meson.build
index 7dd1cc9bfb991fa0d567d2ac0bf221503356f278..65455a179e5e01968d1fb2fa5f2c58063d8c046f 100644
--- a/fsdev/meson.build
+++ b/fsdev/meson.build
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ fsdev_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_FSDEV_9P'], if_true: files(
 ), if_false: files('qemu-fsdev-dummy.c'))
 softmmu_ss.add_all(when: 'CONFIG_LINUX', if_true: fsdev_ss)
 
-have_virtfs_proxy_helper = have_tools and libattr.found() and libcap_ng.found() and 'CONFIG_VIRTFS' in config_host
+have_virtfs_proxy_helper = have_tools and libattr.found() and libcap_ng.found() and have_virtfs
 if have_virtfs_proxy_helper
   executable('virtfs-proxy-helper',
              files('virtfs-proxy-helper.c', '9p-marshal.c', '9p-iov-marshal.c'),
diff --git a/tests/qtest/meson.build b/tests/qtest/meson.build
index 6a67c538be120a26408a3555075bb191079064e9..6ec09821d7e48e2ea71f5948d1a2d9ac1cbba3c5 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/meson.build
+++ b/tests/qtest/meson.build
@@ -199,7 +199,9 @@ qos_test_ss.add(
   'virtio-serial-test.c',
   'vmxnet3-test.c',
 )
-qos_test_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_VIRTFS', if_true: files('virtio-9p-test.c'))
+if have_virtfs
+  qos_test_ss.add(files('virtio-9p-test.c'))
+endif
 qos_test_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_VHOST_USER', if_true: files('vhost-user-test.c'))
 
 tpmemu_files = ['tpm-emu.c', 'tpm-util.c', 'tpm-tests.c']