diff --git a/build-aux/meson.build b/build-aux/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b8b788
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-aux/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+
+scripts = [
+    'buildenv.py',
+    'dist.py',
+    'gen-authors.py',
+    'msitool.py',
+    'post_install.py',
+    'run-windres.py',
+]
+
+foreach name : scripts
+  sname = name.split('.')[0].underscorify()
+  set_variable('@0@_prog'.format(sname), find_program(name))
+endforeach
diff --git a/data/meson.build b/data/meson.build
index 4325108..c978393 100644
--- a/data/meson.build
+++ b/data/meson.build
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ if with_msi
     output: ['buildenv.txt'],
     command: [
       python3,
-      join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'build-aux', 'buildenv.py')
+      buildenv_prog,
     ],
     capture: true)
 
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ if with_msi
     build_by_default: false,
     command: [
       python3,
-      join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'build-aux', 'msitool.py'),
+      msitool_prog,
       meson.build_root(),
       prefix,
       wixl_arch,
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 51c9513..e169875 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -508,9 +508,10 @@ configure_file(
   configuration: conf_data
 )
 
+subdir('build-aux')
+
 if git
-  authors_helper = join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'build-aux', 'gen-authors.py')
-  authors = run_command(python3.path(), authors_helper, env: runutf8)
+  authors = run_command(python3.path(), gen_authors_prog, env: runutf8)
   authors_file = 'AUTHORS.in'
 
   authors_conf = configuration_data()
@@ -534,9 +535,8 @@ if git
     configuration: conf_data
   )
 
-  dist_helper = join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'build-aux', 'dist.py')
-  meson.add_dist_script(python3.path(), dist_helper, meson.build_root(), 'AUTHORS')
-  meson.add_dist_script(python3.path(), dist_helper, meson.build_root(), 'virt-viewer.spec')
+  meson.add_dist_script(python3.path(), dist_prog, meson.build_root(), 'AUTHORS')
+  meson.add_dist_script(python3.path(), dist_prog, meson.build_root(), 'virt-viewer.spec')
 endif
 
 gnome = import('gnome')
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 8bf1372..bd5d544 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ executable(
 
 if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
   windres = find_program('windres')
-  runwindres = join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'build-aux', 'run-windres.py')
 
   rcfile = configure_file(
     input: 'virt-viewer.rc.in',
@@ -188,7 +187,7 @@ if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
     output: ['virt-viewer-rc.o'],
     command : [
       python3,
-      runwindres,
+      run_windres_prog,
       windres,
       join_paths(meson.build_root(), 'icons'),
       meson.current_source_dir(),