diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index 64a8dbc845..985b1576c4 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ STANDALONE_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)
 confdir = $(sysconfdir)/libvirt
 conf_DATA =
 
-bin_SCRIPTS = virt-pki-validate
 libexec_SCRIPTS = libvirt-guests.sh
 
 if WITH_SANLOCK
@@ -35,11 +34,6 @@ if WITH_LOGIN_SHELL
 conf_DATA += virt-login-shell.conf
 endif WITH_LOGIN_SHELL
 
-virt-pki-validate: virt-pki-validate.in Makefile
-	$(AM_V_GEN)sed -e 's|[@]sysconfdir@|$(sysconfdir)|g' \
-		       -e 's|[@]VERSION@|$(VERSION)|g' \
-	  < $< > $@ || (rm $@ && exit 1) && chmod +x $@
-
 virt-sanlock-cleanup: virt-sanlock-cleanup.in Makefile
 	$(AM_V_GEN)sed -e 's|[@]sysconfdir@|$(sysconfdir)|' \
 	    -e 's|[@]localstatedir@|$(localstatedir)|' < $< > $@ \
diff --git a/tools/meson.build b/tools/meson.build
index 32f4d767d4..3f98a3e070 100644
--- a/tools/meson.build
+++ b/tools/meson.build
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ executable(
 tools_conf = configuration_data()
 tools_conf.set('VERSION', meson.project_version())
 tools_conf.set('schemadir', pkgdatadir / 'schemas')
+tools_conf.set('sysconfdir', sysconfdir)
 
 configure_file(
   input: 'virt-xml-validate.in',
@@ -232,3 +233,12 @@ configure_file(
   install_dir: bindir,
   install_mode: 'rwxrwxr-x',
 )
+
+configure_file(
+  input: 'virt-pki-validate.in',
+  output: 'virt-pki-validate',
+  configuration: tools_conf,
+  install: true,
+  install_dir: bindir,
+  install_mode: 'rwxrwxr-x',
+)