diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ff200900ed..442855daef 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -645,6 +645,8 @@ softmmu_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_FDT', fdt],  if_true: [files('device_tree.c')])
 
 common_ss.add(files('cpus-common.c'))
 
+subdir('softmmu')
+
 # needed for fuzzing binaries
 subdir('tests/qtest/libqos')
 
diff --git a/softmmu/Makefile.objs b/softmmu/Makefile.objs
index c036887500..ec74d8a9fa 100644
--- a/softmmu/Makefile.objs
+++ b/softmmu/Makefile.objs
@@ -1,14 +1,2 @@
 softmmu-main-y = softmmu/main.o
-
-obj-y += arch_init.o
-obj-y += cpus.o
-obj-y += cpu-throttle.o
-obj-y += balloon.o
-obj-y += ioport.o
-obj-y += memory.o
-obj-y += memory_mapping.o
-
-obj-y += qtest.o
-
-obj-y += vl.o
-vl.o-cflags := $(SDL_CFLAGS)
+main.o-cflags := $(SDL_CFLAGS)
diff --git a/softmmu/meson.build b/softmmu/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95d38df259
--- /dev/null
+++ b/softmmu/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU', if_true: files(
+  'arch_init.c',
+  'balloon.c',
+  'cpus.c',
+  'cpu-throttle.c',
+  'ioport.c',
+  'memory.c',
+  'memory_mapping.c',
+  'qtest.c',
+  'vl.c'))