diff --git a/configure b/configure
index c88ef94fec..7b6adc29fe 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2100,21 +2100,6 @@ LINKS="$LINKS tests/avocado tests/data"
 LINKS="$LINKS tests/qemu-iotests/check"
 LINKS="$LINKS python"
 LINKS="$LINKS contrib/plugins/Makefile "
-for bios_file in \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/*.bin \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/*.elf \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/*.lid \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/*.rom \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/*.dtb \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/*.img \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/openbios-* \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/u-boot.* \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/palcode-* \
-    $source_path/pc-bios/qemu_vga.ndrv
-
-do
-    LINKS="$LINKS pc-bios/$(basename $bios_file)"
-done
 for f in $LINKS ; do
     if [ -e "$source_path/$f" ]; then
         mkdir -p `dirname ./$f`
diff --git a/pc-bios/meson.build b/pc-bios/meson.build
index c86dedf7df..41ba1c0ec7 100644
--- a/pc-bios/meson.build
+++ b/pc-bios/meson.build
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ if unpack_edk2_blobs
   endforeach
 endif
 
-blobs = files(
+blobs = [
   'bios.bin',
   'bios-256k.bin',
   'bios-microvm.bin',
@@ -83,11 +83,18 @@ blobs = files(
   'npcm7xx_bootrom.bin',
   'vof.bin',
   'vof-nvram.bin',
-)
+]
 
-if get_option('install_blobs')
-  install_data(blobs, install_dir: qemu_datadir)
-endif
+ln_s = [find_program('ln', required: true), '-sf']
+foreach f : blobs
+  roms += custom_target(f,
+                build_by_default: have_system,
+                output: f,
+                input: files('meson.build'),            # dummy input
+                install: get_option('install_blobs'),
+                install_dir: qemu_datadir,
+                command: [ ln_s, meson.project_source_root() / 'pc-bios' / f, '@OUTPUT@' ])
+endforeach
 
 subdir('descriptors')
 subdir('keymaps')