diff --git a/src/admin/Makefile.inc.am b/src/admin/Makefile.inc.am
index a2af10a158..9d6f3c4cca 100644
--- a/src/admin/Makefile.inc.am
+++ b/src/admin/Makefile.inc.am
@@ -1,13 +1,7 @@
 # vim: filetype=automake
 
-ADMIN_SYM_FILES = $(srcdir)/admin/libvirt_admin_private.syms
-
-check-admin-symsorting:
-	$(AM_V_GEN)$(RUNUTF8) $(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/scripts/check-symsorting.py \
-		$(srcdir) $(ADMIN_SYM_FILES)
-
 check-admin-drivername:
 	$(AM_V_GEN)$(RUNUTF8) $(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/scripts/check-drivername.py \
 		$(srcdir)/admin/libvirt_admin_public.syms
 
-check-admin: check-admin-symsorting check-admin-drivername
+check-admin: check-admin-drivername
diff --git a/src/admin/meson.build b/src/admin/meson.build
index fe72cb326c..5e450bdd6e 100644
--- a/src/admin/meson.build
+++ b/src/admin/meson.build
@@ -52,11 +52,15 @@ admin_client_generated = custom_target(
   capture: true,
 )
 
+libvirt_admin_private_syms = files(
+  'libvirt_admin_private.syms',
+)
+
 libvirt_admin_syms = custom_target(
   'libvirt_admin.syms',
   input: [
     'libvirt_admin_public.syms',
-    'libvirt_admin_private.syms',
+    libvirt_admin_private_syms,
   ],
   output: 'libvirt_admin.syms',
   command: [
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index cfb3657dc7..1de114c89c 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -900,6 +900,17 @@ test(
   env: runutf8,
 )
 
+test(
+  'check-admin-symsorting',
+  python3_prog,
+  args: [
+    check_symsorting_prog.path(),
+    meson.current_source_dir(),
+    libvirt_admin_private_syms,
+  ],
+  env: runutf8,
+)
+
 test(
   'check-drivername',
   python3_prog,