diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 7e997b195a..6317847663 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1218,6 +1218,7 @@ subdir('src/sulogin-shell')
 subdir('src/boot/efi')
 
 subdir('src/test')
+subdir('rules')
 subdir('test')
 
 ############################################################
@@ -2345,7 +2346,6 @@ subdir('units')
 subdir('sysctl.d')
 subdir('sysusers.d')
 subdir('tmpfiles.d')
-subdir('rules')
 subdir('hwdb')
 subdir('network')
 subdir('man')
diff --git a/rules/meson.build b/rules/meson.build
index 56a270712a..e253b9f591 100644
--- a/rules/meson.build
+++ b/rules/meson.build
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ rules = files('''
 install_data(rules,
              install_dir : udevrulesdir)
 
+all_rules = rules
+
 rules_in = '''
         50-udev-default.rules
         64-btrfs.rules
@@ -54,4 +56,5 @@ foreach file : rules_in
                 configuration : substs)
         install_data(gen,
                      install_dir : udevrulesdir)
+        all_rules += gen
 endforeach
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index 40605b385f..28b5fcdbca 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -188,6 +188,13 @@ endif
 
 ############################################################
 
+rule_syntax_check_py = find_program('rule-syntax-check.py')
+test('rule-syntax-check',
+     rule_syntax_check_py,
+     args : all_rules)
+
+############################################################
+
 if conf.get('HAVE_SYSV_COMPAT') == 1
         sysv_generator_test_py = find_program('sysv-generator-test.py')
         test('sysv-generator-test',
diff --git a/test/rule-syntax-check.py b/test/rule-syntax-check.py
index 4f27fb015b..e053b027ca 100755
--- a/test/rule-syntax-check.py
+++ b/test/rule-syntax-check.py
@@ -24,17 +24,9 @@ import sys
 import os
 from glob import glob
 
-if len(sys.argv) > 1:
-    # explicit rule file list
-    rules_files = sys.argv[1:]
-else:
-    # take them from the build dir
-    root_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
-    rules_dir = os.path.join(os.environ.get('top_srcdir', root_dir), 'rules')
-    if not os.path.isdir(rules_dir):
-        sys.stderr.write('No rules files given, and %s does not exist, aborting' % rules_dir)
-        sys.exit(2)
-    rules_files = glob(os.path.join(rules_dir, '*.rules'))
+rules_files = sys.argv[1:]
+if not rules_files:
+    sys.exit('Specify files to test as arguments')
 
 no_args_tests = re.compile(r'(ACTION|DEVPATH|KERNELS?|NAME|SYMLINK|SUBSYSTEMS?|DRIVERS?|TAG|RESULT|TEST)\s*(?:=|!)=\s*"([^"]*)"$')
 args_tests = re.compile(r'(ATTRS?|ENV|TEST){([a-zA-Z0-9/_.*%-]+)}\s*(?:=|!)=\s*"([^"]*)"$')
@@ -44,6 +36,7 @@ args_assign = re.compile(r'(ATTR|ENV|IMPORT|RUN){([a-zA-Z0-9/_.*%-]+)}\s*(=|\+=)
 result = 0
 buffer = ''
 for path in rules_files:
+    print('# looking at {}'.format(path))
     lineno = 0
     for line in open(path):
         lineno += 1
@@ -66,9 +59,9 @@ for path in rules_files:
             if not (no_args_tests.match(clause) or args_tests.match(clause) or
                     no_args_assign.match(clause) or args_assign.match(clause)):
 
-                print('Invalid line %s:%i: %s' % (path, lineno, line))
-                print('  clause: %s' % clause)
-                print('')
+                print('Invalid line {}:{}: {}'.format(path, lineno, line))
+                print('  clause:', clause)
+                print()
                 result = 1
                 break